BAKU, Azerbaijan, Mar. 17
Trend:
Azerbaijan’s working group on environmental issues of the Interdepartmental Center under the Coordination Headquarters, created to centrally resolve issues in the Azerbaijani territories liberated from Armenian occupation [in the 2020 Second Karabakh War], held a regular meeting, Trend reports.
The meeting was attended by representatives of the relevant state structures represented in the working group, and members of the expert group of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), who are on a visit to Azerbaijan.
The objectives of the UNEP group’s visit are to carry out an assessment mission to support the process of ecological restoration of the liberated territories, to study the Azerbaijani government’s plans for the restoration of ecosystems in the territories affected by the Karabakh conflict, to identify areas for UNEP support and to collect information directly from sources related to the ecological restoration needs.
At the meeting, the working group members conducted a comparative assessment of the current situation regarding forest resources, fauna and flora, specially protected natural areas, water resources, mineral deposits, soils in the liberated territories with the pre-occupation period.
Besides, the working group was informed about the agricultural work, including the work on degraded lands, implemented in the liberated territories.
Presentations were made on the "smart village" project, the "Green Energy Zone Concept", and monitoring of the liberated territories based on satellite images, and the films were shown.
The Azerbaijani Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources also organized a visit of the expert group to the Karabakh and East Zangazur economic regions, including Aghdam, Jabrayil, Zangilan, Shusha cities, Aghali, Vanadli, Sarigishlag and Shafibayli villages (Zangilan district), the villages of Ishigli, Dovlatyarly and Gajar (Fuzuli district), as well as Hadrut and Sugovushan settlements.
During the visit, the consequences of environmental crimes committed by Armenia [in the previously occupied territories] were visually demonstrated to the assessment mission participants.
