Azerbaijan faces water deficit compared to regional neighbors

Azerbaijan's water resources are significantly lower compared to those of Georgia and Armenia, according to Elnur Aliyev, Advisor to the Chairman of the Small and Medium Business Development Agency (KOBIA) under the Ministry of Economy, Report informs.

Aliyev made the remark during a press conference dedicated to the agency's nine-month performance.

"Azerbaijan's water resources total 26.2 billion cubic meters, while Georgia's are four times higher-108 billion cubic meters. Armenia's reserves are 1.5 times greater than ours, at 40 billion cubic meters. Combined, Georgia and Armenia hold 148 billion cubic meters of water, which is 5.7 times more than Azerbaijan. Our country possesses 15% of the South Caucasus's water resources, while Georgia holds 62% and Armenia 23%," he noted.

The official also emphasized that Azerbaijan maintains an advantage in arable land: "Our country has 4.6 million hectares of agricultural land, compared to 3 million hectares in Georgia and 1.1 million hectares in Armenia. In total, Georgia and Armenia together have 4.1 million hectares-less than Azerbaijan's figure."