Ecology

Nato's Caspian ecology workshop in Baku

Vice-Premier Yagub Ayyubov noted cross-border contamination in the Caspian and high pollution of the rivers Kur and Araz from Armenia and Georgia. The Azeri official was speaking to the two-day Nato workshop "Ecological problems of the Caspian", which got underway at the Crescent Beach Hotel of Baku Tuesday. Azerbaijan is trying to rejuvenate the regional environment, but fails to take due measures with meager funds, the minister stressed.

Nato's objective is to convene all Caspian experts for a deeper study into the region's ecological problems, according to Nato deputy general secretary for science and environment Jean Furnet. One of the five key targets of the Nato Committee on Modern Society Problems, as part of which the workshop was organized, is to ease the impact of wars on ecology, he stated. A Caspian database and a geographic information network on Caspian pollution will be presented in the workshop and Caspian problems, including Mnemiopsis attack and the plight of fauna and flora, will be reviewed.

Taking part in the workshop are experts from the US, France, Britain, Norway, Belgium, Turkey, Italy, Russia, the Ukraine, Georgia, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan.

Int'l nature preservation forum gets underway in Baku

An international conference "Program of national parks - protection and preservation of the national natural and cultural heritage in Azerbaijan" started at the Gulustan Palace of Baku Thursday.

191.200 hectares of land, or 2.2% of the country's territory, accommodate state preserves, minister for ecology and natural resources Hussein Baghirov told the forum. A total of 478,000 hectares (5%) of land are under state supervision, playing a major role in protection of biodiversity. These are 14 state preserves and 20 reserves with over 2,000 natural monuments, part of which is being restored now, he noted.

The minister for ecology and natural resources touched upon four projects on establishment of national parks in Azerbaijan, including Shahdagh with a space of 268,000 hectares, Gobustan - 178,700 hectares, Murovdagh (Goygol) - 118,300 and Burovar (Ghirkan) - 49,200 hectares.

The Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources conducted an undertaking Thursday on setting up bioreserves and parks in lieu of valuable woods in the Shirvan preserve, Goygol, Akgol, Pirgulu, Zagatala, Turyanchay, Garayazy state preserves and Bandovan reserve, the minister underscored.

The German Zukkov Foundation intends to fund the establishment of a number of national parks in Azerbaijan, as it has allotted $40,000 for expansion of the Akgol preserve and its conversion into a national park.

Taking part in the conference, chairman of the Zukkov Foundation Mikhail Zukkov stressed that the nature in Azerbaijan is at risk, noting the especially deplorable environment on the Caspian shores.

Massive forest cut down

Firewood in Armenia has recently increased three times to 206,600 cubic meters in 1996 at the expense of the massive cut down of Azeri forests in the occupied lands.

Armenia had 58,000 cubic meters of firewood in 1989, the minister Baghirov said, referring to UN Agrarian Commission bulletin #8 in Switzerland dated 1998.

It is worth noting that 261,000 hectares of forests are under Armenian occupation. This is 26% of the nation's forest reserves.

National parks to hike protected lands

The German Zukkov Foundation confirmed its financial assistance to two of the five national parks that are scheduled to be set up in Azerbaijan in the final meeting of the conference on establishment of national parks and protection of natural and cultural heritage in Baku Friday. The foundation has assumed to provide employees of the preserves with horses and outfits and build some vital installations. It is also expected to back activities for restoring the water system in preserves and protecting birds from beasts of pray.

The German delegation underscored that Azerbaijan is a key center conserving biodiversity in Europe. 370 plants out of 4300 encountered in Azerbaijan are endemic and peculiar only to this Caucasus nation, German delegates noted. Only 5% of Azeri lands are protected territories, but this figure is expected to rise after the national parks are set up. German experts underlined the rare natural diversity of Azeri nature with broad-leaved forests, Alpine plains and lowland woods on Caspian coasts. 4500 rare gazelles are kept the Shirvan preserve. The conference participants adopted a resolution.