Baku, March 5, AZERTAC

This March, Baku will host the International Exhibition and Conference for Water Management, dedicated to a topic of paramount importance and urgency for both Azerbaijan and the entire world. The exhibition, marking its first occurrence in Azerbaijan as a part of Baku Water Week, is scheduled for March 12-14 at the Baku Expo Center. Concurrently, the conference will take place on March 13-14 at The Ritz-Carlton Baku hotel.

Dependable water supply for the country is among the top priority dimensions of the governmental policy. Posing enormous importance to both our country and the region as whole, the international event is taking place at the support of the State Agency of Water Resources of Azerbaijan. It will be dedicated to the discussion of the way forward in Azerbaijan and current objectives and solutions and will strive to find new possibilities for stakeholders. The event strives to attract new technologies, equipment, and investments, bolster water supply industry in light of restoration and reconstruction activities in Karabakh (ultimately factoring in the development in this field across the country), and promote discussions over critical issues, new projects, and cooperation in this field.

Approximately 90 companies from 16 countries have confirmed their participation in Baku Water Week. Alongside Azerbaijan, the countries represented by these participating companies, include Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Israel, Kazakhstan, the Russian Federation, Switzerland, Türkiye, and the United States of America.

Despite being held for the first time, the Baku Water Week has already enjoyed the support on the part of some major companies: Acwa Power, AgroFoodInvestment, Geo SU Group, Hidroloq LLC are golden; IDE Technologies, Körpü Bina Tikinti, Coca-Cola are silver, and Kolin İnşaat, Özgün İnşaat, Qarabağ-ER and Aztəsərrüfat LLC are broze sponsors, while Mekorot is a consulting partner of the event. The participation of such important players is a sure sign of how significant and relevant the event is.

The event presents the following sections:

- analytical and lab technology

- pipe and pipeline equipment and products

- drainage equipment

- waterworks

- potable water treatment

- consulting services

- water supply and discharge (sewerage)

- irrigation systems

- construction and drilling equipment in water supply and management

- instrumentation and control technologies in water industry

- design and construction of water industry facilities

- information and communication technologies

- education and scientific research in water industry

- R&D institutes

- water desalination technologies

- wastewater and stormwater discharge and treatment systems.

Our world faces a few brand-new challenges today; one of the top issues on this list is the lack of water resources that threatens humanity as a whole. A reliable water supply and effective management of water resources are therefore a global-scale strategic objective. Azerbaijan is no exclusion here; water resource management plays a critical role in terms of both ecology and water security of the state. Water security, specifically achieving a reliable and sustainable water supply, is one of the priority areas of state policy in Azerbaijan. As part of a set of urgent actions outlined by President Ilham Aliyev, the country has seen the implementation of numerous projects; a continuous effort has been exerted to improve water resource and facilities management efficiency, and irrigation and waterworks facilities have been constructed in line with latest requirements. A year back, the head of state signed the order to implement a pilot seawater desalination project that will help improve water supply to Baku and adjacent areas.

The presentation zone of the exhibition will be featuring such panel discussions as “Water Resources and Restoration Effort in Karabakh and East Zangazur Economic Regions”, “Modern Trends in Water Resource Management in Azerbaijan and Water Resource Development Plans”, “Water, Food and Energy”, “The Role of Analysis in Water Resource Quality Assurance", “Water Diplomacy”, “The Importance of State-of-the-art Technology in Water Industry”, “Sustainable Wastewater Management: Challenges and Solutions”, “Economy of water resources: Let's value it drop by drop” etc.

Quite an interesting design concept has been prepared for the exhibition participants and visitors alike: the lobby will feature a model of the famous spring “Isa”, located in the historical city of Shusha and representing the cultural heritage of the Azerbaijani people, from which the real healing water of this spring will flow. As part of the community integration program for People with Special Needs, a display will be organized featuring handcrafted pieces made by children from “Umid Var” Charity Society and students from the Design Faculty of the Western Caspian University. The exhibition will also present the plan of Shamkir water reservoir, the water treatment process diagram, the plan of Samur-Absheron irrigation system reconstruction, a sub-artisan well, a water wheel from 1913 that was used to irrigate fields on Kura and Araz rivers, and models of old gate valves used in the water flow control system.

It has become customary to hold bilateral business meetings (B2B and B2G) as part of exhibitions, where people from local and foreign organizations can meet face to face and discuss potential cooperation and future partnerships. Besides, reps from private entities may use these meetings to meet with government officials.

Held as part of the wider event, the Baku Water Week International Conference is dedicated to water resource management, water supply, climate change and its impact on water resources, and effective water use. Besides, the conference will see the presentation of the project “One Drop”, with different topics to be discussed such as “The Global Water Shortage and Climate Change”, “The Effective Use of Water Resources of Azerbaijan and Caspian Region”, “Technological Innovations in Water Resource Management”, “Use of Water in Agriculture”, “Innovations in Ecology”, “Sustainable Use of Water in Communities” and etc.

The exhibition participants will be able to meet water industry majors and get an update on latest technological products and development strategies, as well as to sign ambitious agreements. The organizers expect the Baku Water Week to boost the development of Azerbaijan's water sector and facilitate the search for new solutions.

The International Exhibition and Conference for Water Management (Baku Water Week) is organized by Caspian Event Organisers and its international partners Caspian Event Management and ICA Events. The event also enjoys an active support on the part of the Azerbaijan Exhibition Organisers Association (ASTA).