Baku - On 27 January 2022, UNESCO and the International Center on Qanats and Historic Hydraulic Structures (ICQHHS) organized an international webinar on Qanat Renovation Best Practices with the participation of scientists, organizations, experts from different countries engaged in Qanat (kahriz) restoration.

The purpose of the event was to exchange views and discuss, transfer of knowledge and experiences on restoring the Qanats (kahrizes) and the other traditional historic hydraulic structures.

Arzu Musayev, a representative of IOM Azerbaijan also attended the event with the presentation "Rehabilitation of kahrizes / From traditional to new technology" which was devoted to the new technologies used in the renovation of ancient water resources – kahrizes in Azerbaijan within the project “Integrated Rural Development for IDP communities in Azerbaijan through Revitalization of Kahriz Water Supply System” financed by the Korea International Cooperation Agency. The presentation aroused great interest and the participants expressed their desire to get acquainted with the work of new technologies used in the restoration of kahrizes.

The project’s overall objective is to contribute to the prevention of forced economic migration by enhancing access of rural communities in Azerbaijan to energy-free water resources as a means to increase agriculture productivity and livelihoods through provision of water infrastructure, by providing opportunities for income-generating activities in link with Kahriz renovation. The project continues to implement a community-driven approach, paying specific attention to cross-cutting issues such as gender, governance, and environmental sustainability.