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Groundwater Resources of Azerbaijan
It is known that usable water resources within the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan are limited and unevenly distributed. Outside the country, there are 21 million cubic meters of water reserves with an average annual volume of 36 million cubic meters. The basins of the two main rivers - Kura and Aras, which play a crucial role in supplying water to the population of Azerbaijan, cover the entire territory of Armenia, most of Georgia, as well as significant areas in Turkey and Iran, and are already subject to serious pollution even before crossing the borders of Azerbaijan. Within the territory of Azerbaijan, water resources are widely used for drinking and household purposes, as well as in irrigation farming and other areas of agriculture, fisheries, hydroelectric power, environmental protection, and other purposes. The annual use of surface water within the republic amounts to 11-12 million cubic meters, while the use of groundwater approaches 2.5-2.8 million cubic meters.
Groundwaters suitable for use (with a mineralization of up to 1.0 g/l) and low-mineralized waters (1-3 g/l) are found in all genetic types from Paleozoic rocks to modern deposits within the republic, in mountainous and foothill areas. Regional exploitable reserves of groundwater in foothill and plain areas have been assessed by the National Geological Survey, and in some regions (Karabakh-Mil, Ganja-Gazakh), hydrogeological studies have been conducted to reassess groundwater reserves. Regional exploitable reserves of fresh and low-mineralized groundwater, such as Alazan-Eyricay, Samur-Shabran, Shirvan, Karabakh-Mil, Ganja-Gazakh, Nakhchivan, Lankaran, and others, have been approved or verified by commissions on reserves of the former USSR and the Azerbaijan SSR in foothill plains.
To meet the water needs of cities, towns, and rural settlements in the republic, precise hydrogeological work has been carried out within regional exploitable reserves (and in some cases in new territories), reserves of centralized and group water intakes have been developed and duly approved. Currently, water supply to more than 35 cities and settlements in the republic is fully or partially provided by groundwater, including such settlements as Baku, Sumgait, Ganja, Agdash, Agstafa, Barda, Terter, Nakhchivan, Ordubad, and others.
Predicted reserves of groundwater in mountainous areas have been estimated by administrative districts and overall amount to 1806.9 thousand cubic meters per day. It should be noted that unlike plains and foothills of the republic, hydrogeological studies to assess groundwater reserves in mountainous areas have not been conducted. Groundwater resources in mountainous areas such as Ismayilli, Guba, Gusar, Lankaran, Yardimli, Gazakh, Tovuz, and other regions have not been assessed.
In accordance with the recent State Program for Socio-Economic Development of Regions, in the Djeyransola area, covering western regions of the republic (Agstafa, Tovuz, Shamkir, Samukh), where winter pastures are located, the local population, including refugees and internally displaced persons settled in Ismayilli, Beylagan, Imishli districts, as well as in the territories of Lerik, Yardimli, Khizi, Agdjabadi districts. Here, using preventive geophysical studies, the search for underground water sources suitable for various purposes has been conducted. Currently, similar work is continuing in the foothills of the Sheki region, as well as in the highland and foothill areas of the Siyazan-Guba regions (from Atachay to Valvalachin) and the Jalilabad region.
According to various calculations, regional exploitable reserves of groundwater amount to a total volume of about 23,764.28 thousand cubic meters per day (or 9 billion cubic meters per year). From this volume, 12,079.4 thousand cubic meters per day have been approved by the Commission on Reserves, including 126.4 thousand cubic meters per day in mountainous areas. The total mineralization of these resources amounts to 1592.1 thousand cubic meters per day, allowing their use for irrigation and technical purposes.
The territory of Azerbaijan also possesses significant resources of thermal and technical waters, estimated at a total volume of 419,093 cubic meters per day. The study of possibilities for using underground thermal energy for various sectors of the national economy, such as greenhouse farming, sanatoriums, and resorts, is being conducted to determine possible directions for the exploitation of underground thermal waters, which are the main carriers of underground thermal energy, and to study the hydrodynamic, hydrochemical, and hydrothermal properties of water complexes.
Moreover, in the territory of the republic, there are 14 mineral water sources with medicinal properties. Their resources have been calculated and approved by the State Commission for Reserves of the former USSR.
