Reception of the Azerbaijani delegation at OVF Headquarters. The photographs show members of the Hungarian and Azerbaijani delegations at the table in the Tisza Room at OVF Headquarters.
Photo: Katalin Szabó, OVF
From 13th of July until 17th of July three officials from Azerbaijan took part in an OVF (General Directorate of Water Management of Hungary) hosted event. During the five days, Azerbaijani officials had the opportunity to get a better view to the Hungarian water management in the aspect of water monitoring, water management and the legislative part of domestic water governance.
Last year the State Control Service for the Use and Protection of Water Resources in Azerbaijan (under the Azerbaijan State Water Resources Agency) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Hungarian General Directorate of Water Management. Since the Memorandum, the cooperation stems from knowledge sharing, especially in water monitoring, water management and water governance.
In this year for the sake of cooperation, three officials from Azerbaijan visited our institution. At the forefront of modernizing Azerbaijan’s water control mechanisms is a dedicated team of senior officials from the State Control Service for the Use and Protection of Water Resources, an operational arm under the Azerbaijan State Water Resources Agency (ADSEA). Their combined efforts focus on enforcing national regulatory policies, implementing modern surveillance technologies and establishing strategic international partnerships to safeguard the region's vital water supplies.
Strategic leadership is driven by Aliagha Azizov, the Deputy Head of the State Control Service, who focuses on high-level administrative strategies, climate adaptation policy and international cooperation. In his role, Aliagha represents Azerbaijani water initiatives at global forums, develops frameworks to mitigate climate risks such as the declining water levels of the Caspian Sea, and oversees digital transformation projects that integrate GIS mapping and real-time remote sensor data across the national infrastructure. Working alongside him on operational oversight is Elmar Orucov, the Head of the Monitoring Sector. Elmar directs day-to-day follow-up across regional basins, coordinating field inspections to curb illegal water consumption, prevent unauthorized infrastructure hookups, and eliminate industrial discharge violations, all while maintaining public transparency through regular compliance reporting.
Complementing these administrative and enforcement roles is Ilgar Hasanov, a senior official and technical expert within the service who focuses on institutional capacity building and policy implementation. Ilqar plays a vital role in developing standardized protocols for state water usage, supporting regional agencies in executing conservation measures, and representing the agency in bilateral delegations to exchange best practices in transboundary water management. Together, Aliagha, Elmar, and Ilqar form the core leadership structure behind Azerbaijan’s modern water management strategy, effectively balancing rigorous field enforcement with long-term climate adaptation and digital innovation.
In accordance with the preliminary discussions and correspondence, on the first day of their visit, on 13th July, we welcomed the delegation at the headquarters of the General Directorate of Water Management. The meeting was opened by Mr István Láng, Director-General of the General Directorate of Water Management (OVF), with a speech, to which the head of the Azerbaijani delegation, Aliagha Azizov, responded by welcoming those present and introducing his colleagues. Following this, Mr Jenő Lábdy, Head of Department, gave a presentation on the Hungarian water sector, whilst Mr Azizov presented the Azerbaijani sector. Ilqar Hasanov demonstrated their latest development: an application designed to record findings during inspections, transmit them to headquarters and process the data. The software handles the entire inspection and monitoring process, from on-site inspections and problem identification through to reporting and processing. In their presentation, they highlighted just how strict Azerbaijani water management regulations are; for example, polluting rivers is punishable by imprisonment, as does the illegal extraction of sediment from rivers, for instance for construction purposes.
It is interesting to note that whilst 95 per cent of Hungary’s surface water comes from abroad, the figure for Azerbaijan is 70 per cent. The workforce in the water management sector (OVF plus the 12 local water management directorates) currently is around 4,700 people in Hungary, whilst it is 32,000 employees in Azerbaijan.
It is also surprising that Azerbaijani water management experts determine the amount of water available to farmers based on what and how much they intend to produce in a given year; farmers must therefore declare this in advance.
András Csík (Hungarian Hydrological Forecasting Service, OVF) gave a presentation on the Hungarian hydrographic and hydrological monitoring system, mentioning the assessment of water stored in snow and hydrometeorological forecasting.
The photograph shows Aliagha Azizov, Deputy Head of the State Control Service ADSEA, giving a presentation.
Photo: Katalin Szabó, OVF
On the second day, the Azerbaijani delegation visited Siófok, where they were welcomed by Angéla Horváth, the Director of the Central-Transdanubian Water Directorate (KDTVIZIG) at the outlet sluice of the Sió Canal. Following the tour, a presentation on water management issues relating to Lake Balaton was given, which the delegation listened to with great interest. The participants asked numerous questions to gain a better understanding of best practices in Hungary. Following this useful exchange of professional expertise, the team set out on the water to view, in practice, one of the meteorological measuring stations operating on Lake Balaton.
In the photo, from left to right: a scale model of the Sió Canal, the waters of Lake Balaton, and a weather station on Lake Balaton.
Photo: Dániel Szántó, OVF
On the next day, as part of the technical itinerary, the delegation examined the bank-filtered water production infrastructure located in Tahitótfalu along Szentendre Island, where Jenő Lábdy (Head of Department, OVF), Dániel Szántó (International Coordinator, OVF), Péter Toronyi (Intern, OVF), Antal Serfőző (Managing Director of GeoGold Kárpátia Ltd.) and Orsolya Katona (Geophysicist of GeoGold Kárpátia Ltd.) accompanied them. Gyula Csóka, Technical Manager and co-owner of Duna-Kút Ltd., along with operators from Fővárosi Vízművek Plc. (Budapest Waterworks) and GeoGold Kárpátia Ltd., demonstrated the operation, maintenance, and structural restoration of radial collector wells (“csáposkutak” in Hungarian) and booster pumping stations that supply drinking water to Budapest and the surrounding metropolitan region. The facility plays a pivotal, strategic role in supplying water to the entire vicinity. Given that approximately 60% of Budapest’s drinking water originates from the Szentendre Island region, the strict protection, ongoing operational monitoring and structural maintenance of these radial collector wells are of fundamental importance.
In the top left picture: the delegation at one of the hand-pumped wells in Tahitótfalu; top right: a presentation on hand-pumped wells at Fővárosi Vízművek Zrt.; bottom left: the Mária Valéria Bridge; bottom right: a view of Esztergom from the Basilica.
Photo: Dániel Szántó, OVF
On the last day of their visit, they were invited to the Middle Tisza District Water Directorate (KÖTIVIZIG) in Szolnok, where the delegation was welcomed by György Rátfai, KÖTIVIZIG’s international referent. At the Tisza Office, Gábor Harsányi, Deputy Technical Director, gave a presentation on water management in the region, its tasks, challenges, the monitoring system, and the significance of Lake Tisza.
Afterward, at the KÖTIVIZIG Regional Laboratory, they received a technical tour by Dr. Mariann Teszárné Nagy, the laboratory director, and Ágnes Berényi, biologist. The group was introduced to the building’s laboratories one by one, starting with the sample storage room, where samples arrive in collection containers. From there, the samples are sent to the designated laboratories, such as the general chemistry, heavy metals, microbiology, phytoplankton, and ecotoxicology labs. The visitors showed great interest in the tests and work being conducted in the various laboratories.
At Kisköre they were accompanied by Section Engineer Attila Takács, they learned about the region’s significant role in Hungarian water management, then they visited the Kisköre fish pass (“ladder”). The group then ended the eventful day with a 40-minute boat tour, during which they were able to experience the natural richness of Lake Tisza first hand.
In the photo on the right, the delegation is visiting the biology lab; in the photo on the left, a group photo was taken by the fish pass in Kisköre
Photo: Attila Takács, KÖTIVIZIG
Delegation visits like this help us strengthen diplomatic relationships with far away countries, enable them to get an insight of the water management in Hungary, also allow us to gain an insight into water management in foreign lands and to learn from each other’s work.
Written by: Katalin Szabó, International Relations Officer, Dániel Szántó, International Coordinator, Péter Toronyi, Intern, Olivia Barta, International Coordinator, International Department at OVF (General Directorate of Water Management of Hungary)