AZERBAIJAN STATE COMMITTEE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT o£tfve United Nations Development Programme (LA Baku, Azerbaijan Republic FOREWORD To a traveller coming from the north, the Caucasian mountains across the Southern border of Dagestan gradually descend to the mellow hills of Sheki, the lowlands of Mingechavir and Yevlak, leading east to the Apsheron peninsula and the bay of Baku, on the Caspian shores. To the south, the coast descends in a riparian landscape of bays, lagoons and inlets, designed by the hands of nature that, up to the border with Iran, play with land and sea like a bizarre sculptor would with clay and water, shaping the bodies of his fantasies. The hinterland gently extends to the we: i;{puriant vegetation which offers a virtually unlimited palette of colours and where everything in an:elatscenario of natural elements af\df creatures. The skin of the ancient olive treenails the" the old fisherman's face e'alfed by the wind of the Caspian Sea, and remirifi us of the riBus and seductive harmony of mat magic microee;|i^^|ejvAzerbaijan. For centuries;ttie has attracted explorers, adventurers, biologists, writers, artists or sirjipj; for a place whose JMyi^chness and hospitality of nature 'historical harbour JSSfmSmSS^UfKL from the east and thipist/ The nine climatic zones hosted in the area comprising modern Azerbaijan, the soil fertility, agricultural and fishery resources, the abundant sources of spring water, the enormous gas and olF^otential, have secured prosperity for the population living in the region and beyond. In fact, in Soviet time, Azerbaijan was a source of natural wealth for many other less fortunate countries of the Union. , t ' With the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the Wrthof the independent, democratic republic of Azerbaijan, the small Caucasian country woke up iron tf almost lethargic environmental unawareness, suddenly finding itself confronting a situation of < is of central economic planning policy, the intensive exploitation of the country^ •esottrqes, a process of Industrialisation free from environmental safety standards"*" £ate attitude of neglect towards the more and more visible sig^^f pollution, have1* ince virgin nature of Azerbaijan. g88 Rauf Nagiyev made a film which was a courageous alarm signal of the nascent ehyjr|||prital 'crisis and at the same time am IUIVQ i "J'accuse" against those who were 1 slble for it. Through the symbolic story oftrf |the industrial region of Sumgait, the fe^Dead Zone" depicts a fearful and Vivid fresco^ he consequences for the environment and on public health, of a political and economic decision naking process in which environmental concerns play no role. The indeperidenc ofJMtiem'ocratization process in 1991 coincide with the development of a new e' |rfs'ei||ge both among the political leadership and people at large. The environment has'-BeS s'f alffon-wide debate shaping post-Soviet Azerbaijan. A thorough and unconstraifie'dI'ass] country's environmental condition has gradually made pupc the level of water,,a| jf|bllliBr1"and the government has pledged its commitment $pe primary concerns of its reform agenda. T"yE.ENVIRONMENT RE FOREWORD In 1994, a pool of international organizations and financial institutions launched a rescue plan for the region of Sumgait, declared a Special Economic Zone by the President to attract foreign investors, and initiate an industrial restructuring process guided by environmental safety standards. In 1995, the United Nations Development Programme signed with the State Committee for Environment an agreement for the implementation of the first environmental management plan, paying special attention to the protection of State reserves. At the dawning of the Azerbaijan democracy a new environmental culture is surfacing, a sense of ownership, among people, of the country's national resources, a new model of social behaviour inspired by a true sense of responsibility for the environment; a code of conduct in which everyone acts according to principles of respect, protection and care for the surrounding environment. If it is wrong to suggest that economic growth is unnecessary for human development, it is also wrong to presume that high economic growth rates will automatically translate into a higher level of human development. Oil-rich Azerbaijan is today more aware that without securing sustainability, the development of its resources (especially oil and gas) will bring more harm than benefit to the population. Sustainability will be the ultimate acknowledgment in the national conscience that the fate of humanity is indissolubly linked to the state of the environment. The first "State of the Environment Report" published in Azerbaijan has been prepared by a team of scientists from the Azerbaijan State Committee for the Environment, who have been working on this study with remarkable dedication, guided only by the desire to shed light on the real life of their own country. After years 'of underground research hidden beyond the Soviet curtain, ecology has eventually ceased to be a clandestine science. An all-inclusive analysis of the national, ecosystem, the report is devoted to all those who are proud of the beauty of this country and are committed to preserve it for future generations. May the visitor coming to the country in the year two thousand, still repeat the words from the letter of the 18 century traveller: ".... a land I found, mylord, where a perennial rainbow melts the colours of the mountains in the glimmering crystal of the sky and the strong wind from the east brings the perfume of the sea among the trees, deep into the woods. The fruits of this soil have a taste as sweet as the smile of the natives I encountered here, while coming from the north, the Caucasian mountains across the Southern border of Dagestan gradually descend to the mellow hills of Sheki...." Paolo Lembo United Nations Resident Coordinator S!f i STATE OF THE ENVIRONMENT REPORT TABLE OF CONTENTS page Foreword 3 Chapter 1 Country profile 7 1.1 Historical perspective 7 1.2 Environmental and geographical characteristics 8 1.3 Social and economic characteristics 14 Chapter 2. National principles of environmental policy in Azerbaijan 18 2.1 The concept of environmental protection 18 2.2 Government institutions responsible for the environment 19 2.3 Legislation 21 2.3.1 Basic regulatory acts 21 2.3.2 Economic aspects of environmental legislation 21 2.4 International relations 22 2.5 Strengthening environmental awareness 23 Chapter 3 Ecology of Azerbaijan 25 3.1 Ecological zones 26 3.1.1 The Kura-Araks ecological zone 28 3.1.2 The Apsheron ecological zone 31 3.1.3 Ecological zone of the Greater Caucasus range 39 3.1.4 The Lenkoran-Astara zone 42 3.1.5 The Karabakh zone 44 3.1.6 The Nakhchivan zone 49 3.1.7 The Caspian zone 51 3.2 Major regional problems 54 Chapter 4 National strategy for the preservation of biodiversity 70 4.1 State reserves 72 4.2 State protected areas 84 4.3 Natural monuments Chapter 5 Creating a new environmental awareness in Azerbaijan 5.1 The financial cost of environmental degradation to the national economy 91 Charts and diagrams 93 Photos 94 References 95 STATE OF THE ENVIRONMENT REPORT STATE OF THE ENVIRONMENT REPORT Baku at night. (Photo by F.Mamedov) 1.1 Historical Perspective The territory of Northern Azerbaijan is one of the ancient hearths of civilization. The results of well-known archeolo gical expeditions which were carried out on the territory of the republic during different periods of time confirm that human beings inhabited this place back in the Stone Age. 350-450 thousand years ago ancestors of Azeri people living within the territory of Azer- baijan did not have permanent settlements. They used to wander in small groups (communities) over rich virgin lands, settling down for short periods of time in fertile valleys. They gathered fruits and roots of various plants, fished and hunted while migrating depending on the time of year and the migration of animals. During winter time they hid in caves, a great number of which can be found in the mountainous parts of the Caucasus. A considerable number of settlements of primitive men exist on the territory of the Republic, and many caves still have paintings on the walls remaining from ancient times. The most famous and unique among them is Azykh, a cave located in the southern part of the Karabakh region. Numerous ancient items were found in Azykh, such as pieces of stone tools and the tools themselves, made for digging, cutting, etc. These items demonstrate the evolution of our ancestors into intelligent human beings. The settlements of ancient people, found on the territory of Azerbaijan belong to a different period of the Stone Age. Archeological items found in the western part of the country in Taglar, Damjyly and the Dashsalakhly caves in the Kazakh region give us information about the people who were living here 180 thousand years ago. Drawings on rocks at Gobustan, located near the capital of the Republic, belong to the end of the Stone Age and date back to the 8th century B.C. Drawings on rocks in Gobustan and other petrographs which can be found on the territory of the Apsheron peninsula, Nakhichevan, Kelbajar and other regions of the STATE OF THE ENVIRONMENT REPORT COUNTRY PROFILE Republic are evidence of the life and activities of ancient people and their world outlook. The petrographs with pictures of boats carrying the Sun allow scientists to presume that the inhabitants of these places knew how to navigate ships and even then could navigate by the Sun and stars and had direct contact with the Shumers who belong to the most ancient culture on the continent. Fireplaces were found in the Azykh and Aveydaga caves, which is evidence that during the Stone Age people could make fires.