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Home , Fuzuli District, Hakari (river), Kalbajar, Madagiz, Sarsang Reservoir, Tartar (river)

Armenian terrorism

Sarsang reservoir (view from the village of Heyvali)

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Yegana BAKHSHIYEVA ’s threats and provocations against water resources of the Republic of

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one of the concepts in ecological science, At the same time, the unconstructive approach environmental terror is deliberate damage demonstrated by international organizations to the Ar- Ascaused by a particular country or person to menian-Azerbaijani Nagorno- conflict serves the flora and fauna of another country and destruction to worsen the situation in the region. Armenia is pro- of its natural resources. For more than 30 years, the Re- longing the settlement of the conflict under unfounded public of Azerbaijan has been suffering from environ- pretexts, taking advantage of the dual position of the mental terrorism committed by its western neighbour OSCE Minsk Group, which serves to preserve the con- Armenia. At present, Armenia’s terrorist war against flict. With the support of its foreign patrons, Yerevan Azerbaijan is being waged in various ways. This terror- is delaying the conclusion of any agreement with the ist policy pursued by Armenia against Azerbaijan has countries of the region on the management, use, pro- reached the level of a kind of cyberterrorism, cover- tection of transboundary water resources and determi- ing ideological, scientific, cultural, spiritual and social nation of water quotas, claiming that its country is the spheres. The pollution of rivers coming from the terri- legal successor of the Armenian SSR and continuing tory of Armenia and forming sources of drinking water to rely upon the water sharing agreements the USSR in Azerbaijan with chemical, biological and other radio- signed with in 1924 and with in 1957. active waste has become sustainable. This factor deeply Three fourths of the territory of Azerbaijan is located undermines the right of the regional population to live in the lower reaches of the River basin. Every year, in safety. more than 350 million cubic metres of water are chemi- In general, the aspects of the Armenian-Azerbaijani cally and biologically polluted in Armenia and dis- Nagorno-Karabakh conflict related to water resources, charged into the Kura River basin. As a result, the micro- as well as the use of fresh water sources and hydrau- flora and microfauna in the territory of Azerbaijan along lic facilities by the enemy state in committing acts of 43 km of the River were completely destroyed. As hydro terrorism, hydro sabotage and environmental a result of the direct impact of Armenia’s environmental sabotage have not been sufficiently studied. Armenia’s terrorism policy, the level of water pollution in the Aras policy of environmental terrorism against Azerbaijan is River is many times higher than the norm. The acidity of very different in terms of its nature and implementation the river decreased to pH 2.4 and the microflora fell by mechanisms. 180-200 times. At the same time, valuable fish species

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went extinct in the Aras River. The number of previously luted by chemical waste waters (without neutralization) recorded fish species fell from 21 to 16 in 10-15 years (5, of the Gajaran copper-molybdenum and the Kafan cop- pp. 15-29). per ore processing plants and biologically polluted wa- Organic pollutants that are naturally neutralized and ters of the cities of Kafan and Gajaran (including villages, detected in the Aras River are many times higher than hospitals, agricultural facilities) in Armenia. This turned the norm. The amount of phenols in the water in this the river basin into a “Dead Zone” (3, pp. 87-98). 43 km area is 220-1,160 times, heavy metal salts (copper, mo- of the riverbed in Azerbaijan and 455 square kilometres lybdenum, etc.) 36-48 times, nitrogen-phosphorus salts of the catchment area are constantly being polluted. As 26-34 times, chlorides 28 times, and hydrocarbons of pe- a result, the microflora and fauna in the river water have troleum origin is 73-113 times higher than the norm. At been destroyed, and the process of self-purification has the same time, high-temperature industrial wastewater stopped (9). has a negative impact on the temperature and gas re- The main reason for the pollution of the Agstafachay, gime of the river. The results of the analysis of samples another transborder river and the right tributary of the taken from the bottom of the river show that the amount Kura River, is the discharge of one million cubic metres of heavy metals in the Aras River is much higher than of waste a year from the Armenian towns of Ijevan and the norm. The amount of toxic substances in the water is Dilijan. As a result, the amount of phenols in the river 50% higher than the norm. For this reason, the pollution exceeded the norm by 35-45 times. The reservoir built of the Aras River with various types of toxic waste poses on it is a serious threat to the population of the north- a threat to the existence of flora and fauna. western regions of Azerbaijan. Thus, taking into account that the main tributaries The Khonashen River, which flows from west to east, of the Aras River pass through the territory of Armenia, is polluted by sewage and waste from the Khojavend that the Metsamor NPP operates in the country despite Central Hospital, located 200-300 metres away, as well international pressure and discharges its waste into as waste from the pig and livestock complex located the Zangi tributary of the Aras River, as well as the fact 200 metres from the river. It should be noted that a that Armenia has not joined the 1992 Convention on small lake was formed after farmers blocked this river, the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses which passes through the occupied territories. This wa- and International Lakes, it is possible to conclude that ter source is the only water source in the area, which is an environmental catastrophe will be inevitable. By the used both as drinking water and for various purposes way, there are opinions not only in the Republic of Azer- (irrigation of crops, animal husbandry, etc.). Ecological- baijan, but also in the Republic of Turkey that the opera- sanitary samples taken from this water source revealed tion of the Metsamor NPP poses a serious threat to the that the number of microbes in them was many times ecology of the region, especially in the regions border- higher than the norm. The river is further polluted by ing on Armenia such as Igdir, which is only 15 kilome- water growing mainly as a result of floods during the tres away from the power plant. According to experts, rains, and the river water flows into the Orjonikidze ca- the Metsamor nuclear power plant in Armenia and the nal (2, pp.135-138). Kozladuy nuclear power plant in Bulgaria are the most The pollution of water bodies in Nagorno-Karabakh dangerous enterprises in Europe (6, pp. 24-39). and surrounding areas has become commonplace. Also, along with the , which is im- Even the state statistics bodies of Armenia unhesitat- portant for agriculture and has the highest relief in Azer- ingly disseminate information on the amount of harm- baijan, there are other reservoirs with a total water ca- ful substances discharged into water bodies in the oc- pacity of 80 million cubic metres left in the territories of cupied territories of Azerbaijan. The Garasu River, which the Republic of Azerbaijan occupied by Armenia. These flows in the direction of the villages of Ashagi Veyselli include the Khachinchay Reservoir, built in 1964, the and Agburun, is completely impossible to use for do- Ganligol Reservoir, built in 1965, the Arpachay Reservoir, mestic purposes due to its pollution by . Skin built in 1977, the Agdamkend Reservoir, built in 1962, diseases have been observed on the bodies of residents and more than 160 water depots, which have become a using water from the Kondalanchay and Guruchay riv- real source of danger. ers flowing through the territory of District, and The Okhchuchay River, flowing in front of Sharikan the pollution of these rivers by Armenians has caused village in District of Azerbaijan, is being pol- various diseases (7, p.54). www.irs-az.com 47 Armenian terrorism

Another river flowing from west to east, the Gargar ter Security Problems of the Republic of Armenia and River, feeds mainly on rain and snow and is polluted by Artsakh in the Context of the Nagorno-Karabakh Con- various types of waste near , Asgaran, Khankendi flict”: “In the context of supplying Nagorno-Karabakh and other settlements. The lack of information about with drinking water, and districts play an the current environmental situation in the occupied exceptional role. In general, the existence of the Nago- territories is a great problem. Armenia, which controls rno-Karabakh republic and its water security depend on these territories, deliberately hides the real environmen- the status of those territories. If Azerbaijan regains these tal situation there, and therefore it is possible to make territories, not only the NKR, but also Armenia will face a only general assumptions about the situation. disaster, because the source of the Arpa and Bargushad Hydrometeorological observations in the occupied rivers, which feed the Lake Goycha, the main source of territories are of great importance in the study of hy- fresh water in Armenia, comes from these districts.” drometeorological conditions in the Republic of Azer- The next target of the environmental terrorist act by baijan, especially in meteorological forecasts and in the Armenia was Injichay, which passes through the villages assessment of water resources. Meteorological stations of Gulustan and Talish in the Republic of Azerbaijan and such as Khankendi, , Lachin, Kalbajar, Agdam, takes its source from Mount Murov. On 19 November Fuzuli with long-term observation stations in this area, 2010, severe pollution was observed in Injichay. Thus, Vaguaz, Sugovushan in Tartarchay (Armenians called the residents of Tapgaragoyunlu village observed that it ), Umudlu at the Sarsang reservoir, Vankli in there was a thick foam on the Injichay, their only source Khachinchay, Aga Korpu in Gargarchay, Girmizibazar of water, from 14:00 to 15:00 in the afternoon and re- in Kondalanchay, Minkand in Zabukh, Lachin in Ha- ported it to the Territorial Department of Ecology and karichay, Salva and Sayifli in Okhchuchay were the lat- Natural Resources No 13 of the Ministry of Ecology est model radio-hydrometeorological stations with all and Natural Resources (, Naftalan, Samukh, kinds of equipment, and as a result of the occupation, , ). An operational group consisting hydrometeorological observations were stopped at 17 of specialists from the Ministry was established to as- hydrological stations and the established base was de- sess the environmental situation, and the group soon stroyed. The compulsory suspension of hydrometeoro- carried out measurements at the water body through logical observations at hydrological stations does not mobile devices. The water samples were analyzed for allow studying the hydrometeorological conditions of harmful chemicals in the central analytical laboratory the area. The amount of damage estimated at market of the ministry, and as a result, it was established that value as of the assessment date of the remaining hydro- the quality of river water had deteriorated significantly. meteorological observation stations and existing infra- The analysis shows that the concentration of hydrogen structure in the occupied territories is around 7,703,200 in the Injichay water, which belongs to the hydrocar- manat (4, p.34-42). bonate water group, dropped sharply from alkaline to The water resources of the occupied districts of acidic, and the oxygen regime of the water was signifi- Kalbajar and Lachin are of strategic importance in the cantly violated. The amount of harmful pollutants such hydro policy of Armenia and the Nagorno-Karabakh as surfactant synthetic organic substances (detergents), separatist regime. Armenian statisticians hope that the nitrogen compounds, especially ammonium and metal so-called Nagorno-Karabakh Republic’s population will compounds was many times higher than the norm. reach 200,000 in the future, and forecast that the annual Hundreds of different mineral springs in the territory demand for fresh water for agricultural and domestic occupied by the enemy make up 39.6% of the total geo- use will be 365 million cubic metres. This is 59% more logical reserves of Azerbaijan’s mineral waters. The area, than the reserves of the Sarsang water reservoir. It is no especially Shusha, Lachin, Kalbajar districts have huge coincidence that the liberation of Kalbajar and Lachin reserves of mineral water. In the Lachin-Kalbajar region, districts from Armenian occupation is assessed in Yere- 63 springs are divided into Istisu (Kalbajar District) and van as the inevitable collapse of the so-called regime Iligsu () types. These waters are not inferi- and the seizure of the initiative in hydro policy by the or to world-famous waters such as Karlovy Vary, Narzan, Azerbaijani side. David Babayan, head of the informa- Kislovodsk, Zheleznovodsk in terms of composition, tion department of the so-called “Nagorno-Karabakh quality and healing properties, and even surpass them republic”, writes about this possibility in his article “Wa- in some respects. Mineral waters located in the territory

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Sarsang reservoir

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The River of Kalbajar District are especially distinguished by their nians completely destroyed a forest for construction favourable gas and chemical composition, high temper- materials, cut down valuable trees in the area to build ature and large natural resources. These mineral waters a road between Hadrut and Tug, and damaged the have healing properties for both external and internal flora of those trees. While getting the world-renowned diseases. Therefore, a large resort and a mineral water Michael Zukkov Prize in November 2006, President filling plant were built on the Istisu spring in the 1980s. commented on the environmental situ- The plant produced 800,000 litres of water per day. Vari- ation in the occupied territories: “20% of our territory ous internal diseases were treated here with the help of is under Armenian occupation and the environmental the Turshsu mineral spring, located 17 km from the city situation in those areas has been deplorable for many of Shusha. Water from the sour mineral spring was sup- years. The occupying forces that occupied those lands plied to Shusha through a pipeline. Also, the deliberate not only destroyed our historical, cultural and religious pollution of natural water basins in the occupied territo- monuments, they also attacked our nature.” ries such as Boyuk Alagol, Kichik Alagol, Zalkhagol, Jan- Armenia’s policy of terrorism against humanity has ligol, Garagol, Alagol, Ishigli Garagol caused additional posed a serious threat to the hydro-environment of the environmental problems for the Republic of Azerbaijan Republic of Azerbaijan. The act of occupation, which re- in the future (4, p.18). sulted in the pollution of the Kura and Aras rivers, the The damage Armenia has caused to nature in the destruction of the mineral springs of the Republic of occupied territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan does Azerbaijan under occupation, the burning and destruc- not end here. Armenia occupied 2 reserves, 4 sanctu- tion of forest areas, and the illegal misappropriation aries and many valuable natural-historical monuments of mineral and raw material resources have become a in the occupied territories of the Republic of Azerbai- state policy. Armenia’s negative attitude towards nature jan. These are the Basitchay State Reserve, the Gara- and natural resources has increased and reached the gol State Reserve, the Lachin, Gubadli and Dashalti highest level in the 21st century. In general, the collapse reserves, and reserves along the Aras. In addition, of the unified ecosystem in the territories occupied by 269,000 hectares of forests and 6 geological objects Armenia marked the beginning of a great catastrophe were destroyed. The reserves and sanctuaries remain- in the South . Unfortunately, the activities of ing in the occupied zone are in a very bad condition. In the occupying state, which contradict the norms of in- a place called Argunash near Fizuli District, the Arme- ternational law, are left beyond the control of interna-

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The Tartar River in Kalbajar (ruined Azerbaijani villages are visible on the banks)

tional organizations, while world powers are indifferent nın materialları. Bakı: Azərbaycan,12 aprel 2013, to such inhumane behaviour. s.17-40. 6. Qurbanov A. Hidroböhran, hidromünaqişələr və References: hidrostrategiya. Bakı: 2013, 162 s. 7. Mustafayeva A., Garayev R. Legal Aspects of 1. Alakbarov A.B. Ground water of Azerbaijan.http:// Reparation for Damage Caused to Azerbaijan as a www.hydrology.nl/images/docs/ihp/groundwater_ Result of Armenian Aggression. http://irs-az.com/ governance/Groun dwater_of_Azerbaijan.pdf. new/pdf/201309/1380093954626732529.pdf. 2. Azərbaycan Respublikası Ekologiya və Təbii 8. Tharme R. E. A Global Perspective On Environ- Sərvətlər Nazirliyinin məlumat materialları əsasında mental Flow Assessment: Emerging Trends In The erməni silahlı təcavüzü və işğal nəticəsində ətraf Development And Application of Environmental mühit və təbii sərvətlərə vurulmuş zərərlərin Flow Methodologies for Rivers. http://Rydberg.Bi- qiymətləndirilməsi (hesabat). Bakı: 2015, 252 s. ology.Colostate.Edu/Bz580/Readings/5%20%20 3. Evrim Maden T. Weaponization of Water: the Case Environmental%20flow%20methods/Tharme%20 of Sarsang reservoir. Ankara: 2017, 111 p. 2003%20Global%20Assessment.pdf. 4. Humbatov M. Threat to the world: hydrological 9. Vəliyev V. Araz çayının ekoloji durumu həyəcan crime and ecological genocide.Vilnius, 2018 199 p. təbili çalır. 31.05.2014. http://www.anl.az/down/ 5. Hüseynov Q.C., Ələkbərov A.B. Azərbaycanın meqale/zaman/2014/may/374173.htm. içməli su təchizatı strategiyasının konsepsiyası / Xəzər Beynəlxalq Su Texnologiyaları konfransı- www.irs-az.com 51