The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) commenced the first official training of the H2Otel Water Saving Awards in Azerbaijan, joining forces with leading tourism and hospitality organizations of the South Caucasus region to introduce a new water sustainability excellence system in Azerbaijan and Georgia. The training programme is organized as part of the Kura II Project for Advancing Integrated Water Resources Management across the Kura River Basin. Funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the project is implemented in Azerbaijan and Georgia by the UNDP, in close collaboration with the Governments of the two countries.

The H2Otel Water Saving Awards is to endorse hotels in Azerbaijan and Georgia for undertaking innovative measures to reduce water consumption and eliminate water pollution in the hospitality industry. Saving water helps hotels to maximise their profits and conserve precious natural resources, while also catering to a growing customer base that demonstrates a preference for hotels which minimise their environmental impact.

In South Caucasus, the H2Otel Water Saving Awards will be implemented in cooperation with the Azerbaijan Hotel Association and the Welcome to Georgia! National Tourism Awards, an annual hotel and hospitality recognition ceremony held in Georgia since 2015.

In both countries, the H2Otel Water Saving Awards programme will utilise the Hotel Water Measurement Initiative (HWMI) tools developed by International Tourism Partnership, a notable UK-based not-for-profit organization founded by HRH Prince Charles. The HWMI tools will offer new water assessment protocols to hoteliers in Azerbaijan and Georgia and will be made available for use in local languages. The HWMI tool is a simple method for tracking water consumption in hotels, developed in conjunction with KPMG and major global hotel brands.

In order to qualify for the H2Otel Water Saving Awards, hotels in Azerbaijan and Georgia are required to participate in three short training programmes, monitor their water consumption with the Hotel Water Measurement Initiative tool and develop innovative plans for water conservation at their properties.

Winners of the H2Otel Water Saving Awards will receive high-profile domestic, regional and international publicity from core partners of the Award programme, including the Azerbaijan Hotel Association, the Welcome to Georgia! National Tourism Awards and the UNDP.

Award winners will also be featured on Green Hotelier, the leading online knowledge management platform that offers hands-on insights on the sustainable and responsible business agenda within the hotel industry, reaching 24,000 properties in over 100 countries worldwide.

The first edition of the H2Otel Water Saving Awards will be issued in Azerbaijan and Georgia in December 2019.

For more information about the H2Otel Water Saving Awards, check out the official Facebook and Instagram pages of the Awards programme, visit the H2Otel Water Saving Awards page on the Kura II project website or send your queries by email at [email protected].