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Let's Save Natural Monuments for Future Generations

 

Ayten Poladova, 

President of the NGO ECOS 

 

As Azerbaijan moves to a market economy, the care and rehabilitation of natural resources, and in particular the 

involvement of the general population in this process, is becoming a higher priority for environmental institutions in 

the country.  Particularly important is instilling in people a sense of responsibility for preserving the natural resources 

of Azerbaijan. 

 

According to ecological legislation, there are three types of officially protected territories functioning in Azerbaijan: 

national parks, reserves and natural monuments. 

 

There are approximately 2000 natural monuments in the territories of our country.  Among these are 

palaeontological monuments, waterfalls, mineral resources, forests, groves and others.   Unfortunately, some of 

them are in the territories occupied by Armenia, and the Azerbaijani government is unable to get information about 

the condition of these sites. 

 

While conducting research on natural monuments the members of the NGO ECOS discovered problems that 

threaten the well-being of these areas.  In order to address these problems, ECOS prepared a project proposal 

entitled, “Let's Save our Natural Monuments for Future Generations.” The proposal received support from ISAR-

Azerbaijan.  The project focuses on the preservation of palaeontological monuments of Binagadi and Baku as well 

as monuments in the Balakan-Zakatala, Shamakha and Lenkoran-Astara regions for this project. 

 

Of particular note is the palaeontological monument located in the southeastern part of Binagadi.  During oil 

exploration in Binagadi in 1938 carried out by the company A.S. Mastanzade, fossils of about 263 types of flora and 

fauna were discovered in an ''asphalt lake''.  This palaeontological monument is similar to the asphalt lake Rancho 

La Perla in California, which is protected by the U.S. government. 

 

Perhaps the greatest value of the palaeontological monument in Binagadi is simply the well-preserved condition of 

the fossilized materials.  Unfortunately, during their expedition to the natural monuments in Binagadi, ECOS and the 

Baku Ecological Committee staffs discovered that the local population periodically dumps waste in the territory and 

that this palaeontological monument is in danger.  So what are the hidden reasons for this problem?  Apparently, the 

local population is unaware of the existence of the Binagadi monument, much less its value and significance.   

 

In addressing this problem, representatives of ECOS visited the H.B. Zardabi Museum of Natural Resources of 

Azerbaijan and studied photographs, documents and other materials related to the Binagadi Palaeontological 

Monument.  After that, school children and teachers in Binagadi organized a meeting.  None of the participants knew 

about the existence of the monument. ECOS displayed the materials collected from the museum to familiarize 

people with the monument. 

 

In order to educate young people about the damage being done to the Binagadi Palaeontological Monument, an 

initiative group of school children was formed to help monitor the monument, in cooperation with the Baku Ecological 

Committee.  ECOS also organized educational events at the Pedagogical Institute in Shemakha, at the ecological 

department of Lenokran State University,  at a secondary school in the village Narimanovka in the Guba region and 

at the Balakan Department of Forestry.  Meetings with students of all ages were organized throughout the country.  

These meetings were dedicated to ecological problems that threaten the natural monuments of Azerbaijan. A 

number of initiative groups have since been formed to monitor the monuments and to reveal and eliminate existing 

problems.   After completing this project, ECOS plans to publish its photographs of the best landscapes of 

Azerbaijan's natural monuments as a way to continue to raise public awareness to these monuments. 

 

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We hope this project will contribute significantly to the process of involving the population in ecological activities and 

serve as good basis for preserving the bio-diversity of Azerbaijan in protected territories.