BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 17. Azerbaijan has been experiencing an unprecedented surge in flood incidents in recent years, said Umayra Tagiyeva, Deputy Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources, Trend reports.
Speaking at a high-level event on “Strengthening Climate Information and Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems for Increased Resilience" as part of COP29 in Baku, Tagiyeva noted the latest data.
"Last year, we recorded 147 flood cases, while this year, the number has already reached 109. The latest reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change indicate an increase in the frequency and duration of heatwaves. In Azerbaijan, heatwaves have also become more common. Collaborative research involving the Geography Institute of the Ministry of Science and Education, the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources has led to the development of new products, specifically medical-meteorological forecasts and warnings," she said.
These forecasts are designed not only for individuals sensitive to weather changes, such as those with cardiovascular diseases, but also for the general public.
"Early warnings about upcoming heatwaves during hot periods have significantly reduced the number of emergency calls related to heat and sunstrokes. Despite the increase in hot days, public awareness campaigns have led to a noticeable decrease in emergency medical assistance requests compared to previous years," Tagiyeva added.
The 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), which will run until November 22, opened at the Baku Olympic Stadium on November 11. The event is the largest organized by Azerbaijan to date and is the first time the region has hosted the event in Azerbaijan.
Within COP29, the highest level event - the summit of world leaders on climate action - was held on November 12–13.
The main expectation from COP29 is to agree on a fair and ambitious New Collective Quantitative Goal (NCQG) on climate finance. The COP29 chairmanship has launched 14 initiatives that include linkages between climate action and the Sustainable Development Goals, including green energy corridors, green energy storage, harmony for climate resilience, clean hydrogen, methane reduction in organic waste, action on green digital technologies, and other topics.
In addition to being a top priority that creates the conditions for action, creating climate finance will also help fulfill the 1.5°C pledge by bringing everyone together.
The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change is an agreement signed at the Rio Earth Summit in June 1992 to prevent dangerous human interference in the climate system. The acronym COP (Conference of Parties) stands for “Conference of Parties” and is the highest legislative body overseeing the implementation of the Framework Convention on Climate Change.
A total of 198 countries are parties to the Convention. Unless otherwise decided by the parties, COP is held annually. The first COP event was held in March 1995 in Berlin, and its secretariat is located in Bonn.