Table of contents introduction

CHAPTER V. ENVİRONMENTAL FACTORS AFFECTİNG AZERBAİJAN

5.1. Challenges

New industrial development and economic growth have presented a lot of environmental challenges to Azerbaijan. Some of those challenges are degradation of nature, scarcity of water, deforestation, climate change, marine pollution, and air pollution. Now, the government realizes the environmental challenges, and it’s planning to lower the pollution rate.

The rapid development of all sectors of the economy over the last century has resulted in an increase in the negative impact of human activities on the environment and the overuse of natural resources. Maintaining the ecological balance, rational use of natural resources, protection of water, soil and air from pollution has become a universal problem. In addition to demographic growth, concerns such as the sharp increase in consumption and the depletion of natural resources that cannot be recovered in the future have also affected environmental thinking and activities. Maintaining the necessary balance between the economy, society and the environment in the context of the global environmental crisis can only be achieved through the formation of a new environmentally safe and economically optimal model of development - sustainable development. Although each country has its own environmental strategy and policy, global goals are aimed at ensuring that people live in a healthy environment, protecting and developing the environmental values ​​of society, and improving the quality of the environment.

Taking appropriate measures to address environmental problems in Azerbaijan, the state policy aimed at improving the environmental situation is an important part of the country's sustainable development strategy. To ensure environmental security, minimize and improve environmental pollution, rational use of natural resources to meet the needs of present and future generations, use alternative energy sources and achieve energy efficiency, assess needs at the national level on global environmental issues, identify solutions, international Expanding relations with organizations is one of the main directions of the country's environmental policy.

The country's environmental strategy is aimed at protecting natural resources at the national, international and regional levels, strengthening the coordination of activities in the field of environmental protection, applying the principles of science-based development, ensuring sustainability in the use of economic and human resources. Back in 2003, Azerbaijan adopted the National Program for Environmentally Sustainable Socio-Economic Development. The principles of sustainable development have been incorporated into public policies and programs in accordance with the Millennium Development Goals, one of the Millennium Development Goals.

Rehabilitation of polluted areas, increasing the scale of forested areas, protection of biodiversity, fertilization and landscaping of arid lands, protection of the marine environment of the Caspian Sea, mitigation of climate change, modernization of hydrometeorological monitoring systems and monitoring networks, improvement of legislation, international cooperation, Raising the level of environmental awareness has been one of the activities. At present, in order to ecologically restore the areas contaminated with oil and oil products, "Improvement of the ecological condition and restoration of the landscape of the former iodine-bromine plant in Surakhani region," Inventory and assessment of contaminated lands in the Absheron Peninsula ”and so on. projects are being implemented. At the same time, appropriate measures are being taken to manage waste, including plastic waste, and campaigns are being organized to recycle waste.

As a result of afforestation and reforestation measures taken to increase the scale of forested areas, the area of ​​forested areas now accounts for 12 percent of the country's territory. Over the past 17 years, 152.4 thousand hectares of afforestation and reforestation measures have been carried out, 96.445 million trees have been planted. A total of 5,386,000 trees were planted on 4,438 hectares of land in arid areas as part of landscaping measures on non-forest lands. To ensure the sustainability of landscaping projects, the areas have been provided with drip irrigation systems. Irrigation uses reusable water sources - desalinated seawater, as well as wastewater. In addition, fruit trees, including olive and other fruit trees, are preferred. The total area of ​​specially protected natural areas increased from 478,000 hectares in 2003 to 893,000 hectares, reaching 10.3% of the country's territory (10 national parks, 10 state nature reserves and 24 state nature reserves). In order to increase the biological resources in the water basins, about 7 billion fish, including sturgeon and salmon fry, have been raised and released into the water basins in the last 17 years.

In modern times, energy security and environmental pollution, global climate change are among the main concerns of mankind. All countries are trying to attract new energy sources to their fuel and energy balance. Non-traditional energy sources such as wind, solar, biomass, waves, surges, and hydrological energy of small rivers have a special place in this competition. The application of clean technologies is given to solve the existing environmental problems related to the development of all sectors of the economy in the country. In order to attract investments to the "green economy", measures are being taken to make extensive use of environmentally friendly alternative energy sources, reduce greenhouse gases, and use energy efficiently in industry, transport, construction and other areas. Azerbaijan is a country that is highly sensitive to the effects of climate change, and the country is already aware of the negative effects of climate change - floods, mudslides, droughts, thermal stresses, etc. feels the increase in the number of natural phenomena such as This highlights adequate adaptation measures.

In this regard, a number of infrastructure projects are being implemented in areas sensitive to climate change, using environmentally friendly technologies - construction of reservoirs and power plants, afforestation and water projects. At the 21st Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Paris in 2015, the Paris Agreement on Global Climate Change, a global international legal document in the field of combating post-2020 climate change, was adopted. The Paris Agreement aims to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change in the context of efforts to achieve sustainable development and reduce poverty by expanding the implementation of the Convention. In its defined national contribution document, Azerbaijan considers its contribution to global climate change mitigation initiatives to be based on the country's national conditions, future development prospects and national interests. % as a target for maintenance. Increase the use of renewable energy sources and energy-efficient technologies to reduce the impact of climate change in Azerbaijan, stop the use of fuel oil in thermal power plants and replace it with cleaner natural gas, expand forest areas, reduce associated emissions and electricity generation. reduction of conventional fuel unit from year to year, etc. such measures were implemented. It is planned to continue such activities in various sectors of the economy in the future, which will further increase the national contribution to efforts to reduce the impact of global climate change.

Recently, new technologies have been applied in the field of hydrometeorology to strengthen control over dangerous hydrometeorological events caused by climate change, improve the forecasting and early warning system. delivered. At the same time, the monitoring system has been improved, new technologies have been introduced in the field of assessment and forecasting of environmental processes, a complex of automatic stations has been set up for continuous monitoring of air pollution, and information on air condition has been provided to the public online. In recent years, Azerbaijan has taken measures to improve its legislation and bring existing regulations into line with the provisions of international treaties to which the country is a party, as well as EU legislation. A number of new laws have been adopted, amendments and additions have been made to improve environmental legislation. The legislation mainly covers the areas of atmospheric air, water resources, domestic and industrial wastes, water bioresources, and biodiversity protection. Along with the adoption of new laws, amendments and additions to existing laws, as well as to ensure their implementation, relevant regulations and rules have been developed and approved. To address the existing problems, the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources attaches special importance to expanding relations with international organizations and donor countries. Thus, UN Development, Environment, Industrial Development Programs, NATO, Global Environment Facility, European Economic Cooperation and Development Organization, Economic Cooperation Organization, World Bank, Asian Bank, World Wildlife Fund, etc. cooperation with organizations continues. At the same time, bilateral cooperation is being established with developed countries on the basis of relevant agreements. Great attention is paid to acceding to international agreements in the field of environment. Thus, to date, the Republic of Azerbaijan has acceded to 21 conventions and signed relevant protocols.