For many decades, the issue of water supply in Baku and on the Absheron Peninsula has remained one of the capital’s most acute social and infrastructure challenges. Even despite the large-scale efforts of recent years, which have significantly reduced the shortage of drinking water, the problem continues to carry strategic weight. This is precisely why the meeting held on January 12 under the chairmanship of President Ilham Aliyev, devoted to the State Program for Improving Water Supply, Stormwater, and Wastewater Systems for 2026–2035, should be viewed not as another routine infrastructure initiative, but as a key element of the long-term sustainability of Baku and the entire Absheron agglomeration.
Against the backdrop of an intensifying shortage of drinking water in countries of the arid belt and rising average annual temperatures both regionally and globally, water security is becoming as critical a factor of national resilience as energy or food security. The issue has moved beyond a local municipal concern and has turned into a systemic challenge for the entire arid and semi-arid belt of Eurasia, where climate change, declining precipitation, and reduced river flows overlap with demographic and economic growth, creating a long-term structural deficit of water resources.
This challenge is felt most acutely in Baku and on the Absheron Peninsula, the country’s key agglomeration where the bulk of economic activity is concentrated and where population inflows continue. Urban expansion, growing housing construction, industrial development, and the expansion of the service sector are driving a sharp increase in water consumption amid limited natural resources and overstretched infrastructure. Several problems accumulate simultaneously: high wear of networks, significant water losses, vulnerability to heavy rainfall, and pollution of the Caspian Sea by untreated wastewater.
Over the past two decades, a basic water infrastructure has been established. Major reservoirs, trunk pipelines, and treatment facilities have been built or reconstructed, including Takhtakorpu, Shamkirchay, Jeyranbatan, Samur–Absheron, and Oguz–Gabala–Baku, which has made it possible to substantially reduce water shortages. The restoration of control over water resources in Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur has further strengthened the country’s water autonomy. However, the scale of climatic and demographic change requires a transition to a new level of water management.
This is precisely the task addressed by the 2026–2035 program. It envisages the construction of around thirty new reservoirs, modernization of trunk and distribution networks, nearly halving water losses, and increasing access to drinking water and sewerage services to 95 percent of the population. For Baku and Absheron, the priority projects include stormwater management, the construction of new collectors, modernization of the Hovsan aeration station, and the full treatment of wastewater discharged into the Caspian Sea.
A qualitative turning point is the shift from an extensive model of water use to a technological one. The launch of a Caspian Sea desalination plant with foreign investment turns seawater into an additional strategic source for Baku and Absheron, reducing dependence on fluctuations in river runoff. In parallel, digital metering and management systems are being introduced, enabling real-time monitoring of water balances and flows.
The social impact of the program is reflected in reduced household vulnerability and a more even quality of services across the agglomeration. The higher the share of uninterrupted water supply and sewerage coverage, the lower the hidden costs for residents and the greater the resilience of urban life. Modernization of stormwater infrastructure further reduces economic damage from heavy rainfall by limiting transport disruptions and property damage.
In an arid climate, the collection and reuse of rainwater acquire particular importance. Instead of rapidly discharging it into the sea, the city gains an additional, manageable resource. Systems for storage, infiltration, and filtration make it possible to simultaneously reduce flood risks and increase the city’s overall water balance. Treated rainwater can be used for irrigation, municipal, and industrial needs, easing pressure on drinking water systems and strengthening the climate resilience of Baku and the Absheron Peninsula.
At a strategic level, the program is fully aligned with Baku’s Master Plan through 2040, which is oriented toward a sustainable and polycentric model of growth. The Master Plan defines the spatial trajectory of the agglomeration, while the 2026–2035 program provides it with the necessary engineering foundation. Modernized networks, separate stormwater and household sewerage systems, rainwater reuse, and diversification of water sources make it possible to manage urban expansion without chronic infrastructure overload, turning water from a constraint into a resource for the long-term development of Baku and the Absheron Peninsula.
Ilgar Velizade
