(MENAFN- Trend News Agency)
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 25. The Netherlands
stands to gain a great deal from Azerbaijan's water management
expertise, the Netherlands' special envoy for water resources Meike
van Ginneken said during a training session at ADA University,
Trend reports.
“The Netherlands and Azerbaijan are similar countries in terms
of water resource management. We have considerable experience in
water management that we can share with Azerbaijan. This applies to
technologies, data processing necessary for water management, and
water pollution control. At the same time, we can learn a lot from
Azerbaijan, which has also gained useful experience for us. During
my visit to Azerbaijan, I aim to understand how we can support our
universities, scientific institutions, and companies, as well as
study the methods that Azerbaijan applies in the field of water
resources management and adaptation to climate change,” she
said.
Meike van Ginneke noted that, in reviewing the measures proposed
in the World Bank report on Azerbaijan, three main categories could
be identified.
"First, engineering and technological measures. Improving
irrigation efficiency in farms is becoming important in times of
water shortage. The government of Azerbaijan is seeking to expand
irrigation areas, but this requires doubling efforts to improve
water efficiency and reduce water leakage. The rehabilitation and
modernization of the hydro-technical infrastructure, mostly built
in Soviet times, is also an important task," Meike van Ginneken
said.
According to her, the second is spatial planning.
"The report emphasizes the need to reform agricultural subsidies
in such a way as to promote adaptation to climate change. Globally,
agricultural subsidies amount to about $680 billion a year and are
often in the wrong direction. As a result, 70 percent of
deforestation is related to agricultural subsidies. Reforming
agricultural subsidies, including in Azerbaijan, can change the
structure of crops, persuade farmers to use less water-intensive
crops, and help small farmers adapt to the new conditions.
Currently, the majority of subsidies, both in Azerbaijan and
elsewhere, go to large producers. Thus, an integrated approach to
engineering and technological measures, spatial planning, and
reform of agricultural subsidies will enable Azerbaijan to
effectively cope with water shortages and increase the resilience
of agriculture to climate change," the special envoy added.
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