International approaches to solving the water problem in the CIS countries (on the example of the Republic of Azerbaijan)

In: Russian Economic Journal, Heft 3, S. 63-76

Abstract

In conditions when the water factor is increasingly affecting the economic development of the CIS countries, the adoption and implementation of modern technological and organizational and managerial decisions on the most effective use of water become an urgent, imperative necessity. This is all the more so because, on the one hand, the decarbonization recommended by the UN cannot be considered as the main means of solving the water problem in the economies of the Commonwealth States. On the other hand, reducing the water capacity of these economies can both accelerate their technological renewal, and become a factor in reducing the negative climate changes occurring in the post-Soviet-Eurasian area. Starting from these considerations, the authors of the article use the example of Azerbaijan — a country with limited water resources — to identify ways to modernize the water management system. This management reform is designed to address aspects of the water problem related not only to climate change, water pollution and large losses during delivery to consumers, but also to the water management policies of neighboring States located upstream of the main rivers. According to the author's final conclusion, the experience of Azerbaijan shows a very significant role of various formats of international cooperation in the creation of effective national integrated water resources management systems in the CIS countries.