“Previously, floods occurred approximately 10-20 times a year across the country, while in recent years this figure has increased by about 10-15 times,” First Deputy Chairman of the Azerbaijan State Water Resources Agency Khayyam Mammadov said during a panel discussion titled “Advantages and Challenges of Integrating Artificial Intelligence into Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems,” held as part of Baku Climate Action Week 2026 (BCAW 2026), APA reports.
He noted that these figures demonstrate that infrastructure development and rapid response to incidents alone are no longer sufficient and that a shift toward a more proactive approach is required.
“We must monitor processes occurring in the atmosphere and river basins in real time, forecast in advance what will happen at the next stage, and take the necessary preventive measures by identifying potential threats beforehand. From this perspective, the integration of digital technologies, early warning systems, and artificial intelligence can play an important role.
Currently, 84 hydrological stations operate across the country to assess water flows in rivers. Automated measuring devices are used at 40 of them, while traditional gauge boards are used at 44.
Within the framework of the ‘National Strategy for the Efficient Use of Water Resources,’ our main goal is to expand and further modernize this observation network and establish a flexible, accurate, and operational database.
These steps can enable the forecasting of river discharge and water levels, earlier identification of flood and drought risks, detection of high-risk areas, and advance assessment of potential impact zones.
At the next stage, with the support of artificial intelligence, the analysis of historical hydrological data, meteorological observations, satellite data, GIS maps, and climate scenarios can make it possible to identify climate risks at an early stage,” Mammadov added.
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