Azerbaijan, Baku, Feb. 11 / Trend I. Khalilova /
The credit resources of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) may be drawn to finance the reconstruction project of Mil-Karabakh water reservoir, the government said.
The IDB has provided a grant for a feasibility study of the project within the cooperation project with Azerbaijan in 2010-2012.
The IDB's Board of Directors approved allocating a grant worth $347,000 in autumn 2008 for Azerbaijan to prepare feasibility study to reconstruct Mil-Karabakh water reservoir. The need for reconstruction of the reservoir was confirmed by the Azerbaijani Ministry of Emergency Situations. It has conducted relevant research.
"Feasibility study has already begun. Afterwards, the appropriate amount of funding for the project will be determined," the government said.
According to the initial evaluations, over $70 million will be required for realizing the project.
These activities are coordinated within the the national programme on preventing desertification and reducing its impact on agriculture" developed by the Ministry of Agriculture a few years ago.
The total area of irrigated land in Azerbaijan today is 1,426,000 hectares, of which 130,000 hectares are under occupation, and 30,000-40,000 hectares belong to the border area. The republic has 189 reservoirs with total capacity of 21 billion cubic meters, 812 pumping stations, canals with total length of 50,000 kilometers, 6,500 artesian wells.
The IDB funds were drawn for the construction of a 67-kilometer Khanar channel on which the bank allocated $9.4 million.
The construction on the canal, designed to improve the irrigation system in an area of 62,000 hectares in four northern districts of the country (Khachmaz, Guba, Gusar and Davachi) was launched in 2002 and completed in 2007.