Azerbaijan ranks 18th in the list of top 33 water-stressed countries of the world in 2040, prepared by the World Resources Institute.
The problem of drought is causing serious damage to farms involved in both crop and livestock production, also decreasing the level of food security in the country.
For example, in 2022, the Ministry of Agriculture reported that about 100,000 hectares of grain crops had been lost due to severe drought in Azerbaijan. It is worth mentioning that grain crops in Azerbaijan account for about 10 percent of cultivated land.
As a result, Azerbaijan’s self-sufficiency in wheat dropped from 62 to 57 percent in 2022, and the cost of wheat imports rose by almost 100 million to 437 million dollars. In other words, the threat of drought poses serious risks for the entire country, not just for those who work in agriculture.
In this situation, it is extremely important to use water resources correctly and sparingly, to create water reserves for timely irrigation of crop areas, and to set up modern irrigation systems.
The Shirvan Irrigation Canal (formerly Upper Shirvan Irrigation Canal) reconstruction project launched by President Ilham Aliyev on April 16 is also aimed at addressing this vital issue.
As previously reported, on April 8, the head of state signed the decree on the reconstruction of the Shirvan and Karabakh canals. A week later, the foundation laying ceremony of the Shirvan Canal took place.
This canal used to have an earthen bed, but over the years much of it has fallen into disrepair, causing significant losses. The land adjacent to the canal became saline and unsuitable for crops.
The President said that after the reconstruction of the Shirvan Canal thousands of people would feel the real benefit of this project. Reportedly, the length of this 120-kilometer canal will be almost doubled to more than 200 kilometers. This means that the crop areas irrigated by means of the Shirvan canal will also be doubled to 230,000 hectares of agricultural land after the reconstruction.
While previously the Shirvan Canal was used to water the lands of eight districts, after the reconstruction it will cover ten districts of the country, and its terminus will be Lake Hajigabul, which completely dried up more than ten years ago.
The Karabakh Canal (previously called the Upper Karabakh Canal), which will also be reconstructed by presidential decree, will irrigate 115,000 hectares of crops. Its reconstruction will start next year and the canal will supply irrigation water to nine districts.
Sarvan Agayev, Chief Advisor at Azerbaijan Land Reclamation and Water Management OJSC, told haqqin.az that the Upper Shirvan Canal has been commissioned in 1958. Until now, the earthen bed of the canal supplied irrigation water to 149.4 thousand hectares of crops in ten districts of the republic. However, after the reconstruction, the losses will be significantly reduced and hundreds of farmers of Hajigabul, Yevlakh, Agdash, Goychay, Ujar, Zardab, Agsu, Kurdamir, Ismailli and Shemakhi districts will be able to take advantage of the Shirvan Canal.
“After the reconstruction of the Shirvan Canal, it will be lined with concrete, which will reduce water losses,” Agayev elaborated. “In addition, the canal’s capacity will be 180,000 cubic meters. The hydraulic structures of the canal will meet modern standards.”
After completion of the canal reconstruction project, 228,000 hectares of cropland in ten districts will be provided with irrigation water, of which 112,000 hectares will be existing cropland and 116,000 hectares will be new cropland.
The Upper Shirvan Irrigation Canal, the country’s second-largest canal, commissioned in 1958, draws water from the Mingachevir Reservoir. It also serves as a drinking water source for residential areas. As a result of more than 65 years of continuous operation, abrupt annual water losses and breakdown of obsolete equipment, land reclamation condition has dramatically deteriorated.
All this has created a deficit in irrigation water supply to existing agricultural lands during the growing season, exacerbated the strain to meet the region’s ever-increasing water demand, and led to a disruption of the ecological balance.
According to Agayev, upon the request of the agency, Turkish consulting firm Su Yapı prepared a feasibility study and a 4-stage reconstruction project for the Upper Shirvan Canal.
Reconstruction of the canal will also make it possible to improve environmental and ameliorative conditions of Lake Hajigabul and adjacent territories, achieve high productivity, restore the operation of pumping stations that supply irrigation water to crop fields of large farms, and feed the pumping station of the Pirsaatchay Reservoir.
Agayev also said that the Karabakh Canal is one of the largest irrigation canals in Azerbaijan. The earthen canal, commissioned in 1958, ranks second in length after the Samur-Absheron Canal.
The Upper Karabakh Canal, originating from the Mingechevir Reservoir and the Kura River, irrigates the Karabakh and Mil Plains and extends to the Araz River, up to the confluence of the Bahramtepe hydrosystem.
“This canal provides fresh and irrigation water supply for eleven districts of the country,” Agaev said. “It diverts water directly to the Araz River and the Bahramtepe hydrosystem, while also improving water supply in five other districts. However, because the canal has an earthen bed, there are certain difficulties in increasing the water content of the Araz River. But after the reconstruction of the canal, water losses will be reduced. While in earthen canals water losses are 25-30 percent, in concrete canals water losses will be reduced to 10 percent. This will also simplify water resources management.”
Azerbaijani ecologists believe that the reconstruction of the Shirvan and Karabakh canals will also significantly improve the condition of saline soils and reduce the rate of further soil degradation.
Ulviya Khudiyeva
Translated from Haqqin.az
