Validation workshop supports the development of Regional Adaptation Plans for the Baku and Shirvan-Salyan Economic Districts

9–10 July 2026 | Shamakhi, Azerbaijan

The EU4ClimateResilience project organised a two-day validation workshop in Shamakhi to review the preliminary findings of analytical studies supporting the development of Regional Adaptation Plans for the Baku and Shirvan-Salyan Economic Districts.

The workshop brought together around 30 representatives from the Azerbaijan State Water Resources Agency, government institutions, academic and research organisations, and other stakeholders working on climate change adaptation and water resources management.

Participants were introduced to the objectives of the Regional Adaptation Plan development process and discussed the importance of integrating scientific evidence into regional planning and decision-making.

The workshop presented preliminary findings from four analytical studies:

• Hydro-Climatic Baseline and Water Resources Assessment;
• Socio-Economic Assessment;
• Vulnerability Assessment; and
• Willingness-to-Pay Assessment.

Through plenary discussions and group work, participants reviewed the findings, validated the proposed assessments and provided technical recommendations. The discussions generated valuable feedback on climate risks, water availability, socio-economic vulnerabilities and priority adaptation measures for both economic districts.

Representatives of the Azerbaijan State Water Resources Agency highlighted the importance of climate scenarios for long-term water resources planning. They emphasised that assessing how climate change may affect future water availability is particularly important for water-scarce countries such as Azerbaijan and expressed interest in strengthening cooperation with GIZ in this area.

The comments and recommendations gathered during the workshop will be incorporated into the final analytical studies and used to inform the development of evidence-based Regional Adaptation Plans for the Baku and Shirvan-Salyan Economic Districts.

The plans will support Azerbaijan’s efforts to strengthen climate resilience, improve long-term water resources management and better prepare regions for the impacts of climate change.