COP29 president reveals Azerbaijan's ambitious climate strategy at international Baku forum

Azerbaijan is currently in the process of developing a new climate strategy, said Mukhtar Babayev, COP29 President-Designate, during the International Baku Forum on "Climate Change and Human Rights: The Role of Ombudsmen and National Human Rights Institutions" in Baku.

Babayev noted that the climate strategy of Azerbaijan will integrate global commitments while also focusing on national priorities, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

“The new strategy will be aimed at low-carbon development, covering all sectors of the economy. In its development, particular attention is paid to inclusivity and human rights,” Babayev noted.

Babayev said that measures are being taken to ensure that the most vulnerable groups in society, including children and women, are at the forefront of our climate agenda.

“To achieve this, meetings and discussions are being organized among various stakeholders,” he stressed.

Moreover, Babayev stressed that the number of hot and dry winds causing significant harm to agriculture has increased fourteenfold in Azerbaijan over the past three decades. The duration of dry periods has also risen by more than twenty per cent:

"The frequency of hail occurrences has tripled over the past ten years. If before hail was mostly observed in mountainous and foothill areas, now it also covers plain territories.”

He reported that Azerbaijan's water resources have decreased by approximately 15% over the past decades.

“This is linked to the intensification of droughts, rising temperatures, and uneven distribution of precipitation. Most of Azerbaijan’s water resources are formed from transboundary waters. Therefore, regional climate changes also affect the water balance within the country,” he stated.

COP29 president emphasized that the decline in the Caspian Sea level due to climate change has serious implications for coastal zones.

“In recent years, there has been a significant reduction in the Caspian Sea level, which is caused by both technogenic and anthropogenic factors. The rise in temperature in the region and the dropping sea level pose threats to biodiversity, fishing, and coastal areas,” Babayev added.

Meanwhile, during the conference, Azerbaijan's Justice Minister, Farid Ahmadov, stated that Azerbaijan is making significant contributions to the global fight against climate change, which directly impacts the daily lives of its citizens.

Ahmadov praised the efforts of international ombudspersons and emphasised Azerbaijan's role in the global response to climate change:

“Climate change affects not only the political and social well-being of states but also the daily lives of citizens. Therefore, today’s event aims to discuss the issues arising from climate change.”

In summary, Azerbaijan is not only formulating a new climate strategy that prioritises inclusivity and human rights but is also actively participating in international dialogues concerning climate issues, underlining the pressing need for action in the face of this global challenge.

By Aghakazim Guliyev