Expert Aliheydiar Mammadov: “The environment, nature, and composition of the Tartar River are very unique, extensive measures should be taken to protect the river”
Cleaning and protection of water basins in Azerbaijan, prevention of depletion of biodiversity in waters are among the constitutional duties of every member of society. Recently, this issue has become very important.
The Globalized World Integration Public Union with the support of the State Support Agency for Non-Governmental Organizations of the Republic of Azerbaijan implements the project “Monitoring of a number of water basins of the country and their biodiversity”. The purpose of the project is to help maintain and protect water basins in Azerbaijan, protect biodiversity in waters, restore control over water resources in Karabakh, maintain the beauty of nature and the cleanliness of the environment, and increase the attractiveness of the country in terms of tourism, especially ecotourism. Within the framework of the project, the opinions and proposals related to the topic are learned from experts in the field, public associations and social activists. Our interviewee on the topic is Aliheydar Mammadov, a member of the working group of the World Commission for Protected Natural Areas, head of the “Hayajan” initiative group for the protection and preservation of biodiversity, M&Q expert of the “PRTR/ Pollutant Release and Transfer Register in Azerbaijan” project, member of the Board of Directors of the Azerbaijan Society for the Protection of Animals. .
Mr. Aliheydar, we would like to know your opinion about the ecotourism opportunities of Azerbaijan.
Currently, a lot of work is being done in the field of tourism in our country. But unfortunately, in this field, we lag behind many countries, for example, neighboring Georgia. This is especially the case in the field of ecotourism. In any case, this is mainly due to road closures. Tourists come to Georgia cheaply because the land routes are closed, and many of Georgia’s state reserves allow them into their territory. Arriving ecotourists have the opportunity to relax in the national parks of Georgia and in places with many natural landscapes and landscapes.
What places can be taken as an example of ecotourism?
There are only 2 outstanding ecotourism areas in Azerbaijan: Shirvan and Shahdag national parks. Shahdag National Park consists of luxurious hotels and restaurants. It should be noted that this is a very good initiative in its place, excellent and relevant to the modern world. Tourists from many countries come and rest there. But it must be said that tourists are different. There are few conditions for ecotourists in Azerbaijan. For example, in Shahdag National Park, we have a luxury hotel, restaurant, skiing and other facilities. It is true that their price is suitable for some tourists, but not for others. One of the most important things about ecotourism is tent camping. Tent camps are set up all over the world in national parks, on the edge of the waterfall, on the edge of the forest, on the edge of the river. In these tent camps, ecotourists can relax according to their budget. Ecotourist does not come to see tall buildings, restaurants with modern interior. An ecotourist comes just to see nature and to see the processes in nature. For example, he likes to listen to the sound of the waterfall, the wind, look at the clouds, the sky, biodiversity, go up and down the mountain on a footpath for several kilometers. We don’t have any conditions for these tourists. One of the main types of tourism is ecotourism, tent camps must be established in Shahdag National Park in Azerbaijan. Next to these tent camps, there should also be a litter box and cleanliness. The camp must be equipped with firewood and primus. Tourists who come there stay in a tent for 1-2 days, listen to nature and see nature. See, this is ecotourism. Otherwise, a tourist comes, gets in a car, comes to Shahdag, eats a kebab in a restaurant in Baku, or eats at twice the price in Shahdag, leaves the hotel in Baku, comes back to the hotel in Shahdag, and skis. This is for affluent tourists. But what should other tourists with a small budget, economy tourists do? The main ecotourism enthusiasts are middle-class people, wherever they are in the world. They want to be in touch with nature. Unfortunately, we don’t have these tent camps. In Shirvan National Park, we only have birds, gazelles, etc. from the variety. The flow of tourists here is not so strong. For some reason, few tourists go to this area. It’s just like a safari. We create an artificial safari, we bring animals from somewhere and let them go, we surround the animals with a fence, in some places there are even animals that do not belong to the fauna of Azerbaijan, we call it safari. There is also one that really has endemic species of Azerbaijan. Shirvan National Park is not considered much. However, Shirvan National Park can be developed and it would be more interesting for ecotourism and biodiversity in the future. Sometimes they mistakenly describe Khinaly as ecotourism everywhere. Henna has nothing to do with ecotourism. Because Khinalig belongs to ethnographic tourism from the first day. Khinalig mainly refers to the ethnography of the village and the nation that lives there. Because the people of Khinalig are a small nation and they have their own way of life, it belongs to ethnographic tourism. But sometimes they even add to ecological tourism.
How do you assess the state of water bodies in Azerbaijan?
Sometimes they don’t accept my ideas. However, it seems very strange that the alarm of water shortages is spreading all over the world at the same time. How is it that everywhere in the world everyone says that there is a shortage of water. For example, this problem is a clear issue in deserts and steppes. But where did all this water of Azerbaijan go? Look, this question seems very strange to a person. What happened all of a sudden? On the one hand, there is a lack of water, on the other hand, floods are washing away the cities. A lot of work is being done to protect water bodies. It is really commendable. However, in the improvement of these water bodies, things are done very quickly and a very terrible process has been created. Everyone remembers that there was a big car repair plant in Khirdalan. Around it was a large reedbed and a lake formed by groundwater. In general, about 200 lakes are formed in autumn and winter in Azerbaijan only in Gobustan. You can imagine, this is related to rainwater. When the shepherds come to winter, the flocks of sheep drink water from those lakes. But when the spring ends, the lakes dry up and disappear during the hot summer months. And for this reason, as the grass dries up, the shepherds take their flocks to the grasslands. Lakes formed from rainwater in Gobustan and our surrounding areas dry up and disappear in the late autumn months. These lakes have their own biodiversity. For example, there are mainly migratory birds, ducks, geese. These birds are migratory birds from North to South. Among the big lakes in Azerbaijan, there is Aghgol. It is very well preserved. The alder reserve and its surroundings are protected to some extent. However, biodiversity around reserves and lakes is not protected. All the biodiversity that lives in our area around the lakes are very valuable animals belonging to the Red Book. For example, if there is no lake and there are no fish in the lake, the otter will perish and leave. It is an animal about 1 meter long, with very small legs, but it catches fish from the bottom of the water and lives with it. The lakes are surrounded by reeds and a reed cat named “Khaus” lives here. Their numbers are extremely small and are listed in the Red Book. The number of these animals and the animals living around the lake is decreasing. The reasons for the decrease are related to anthropogenic influence. Anthropogenic contact increases the amount of harmful substances dumped around the lakes. Many lakes have recently been found to have an extremely high number of extinct fish. There was a lake above Khojasen Lake on Yasamal. They called it Bloody Lake. Hajibala Abutalibov, the former head of the Baku City Executive Authority, suddenly decided to dry this lake. Imagine if there was a weight fish in that lake. In addition to these, the Ichthyology Department of the Institute of Zoology of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences released various fish species there. There was even a long-nosed Kura freshwater sturgeon there. The most beautiful water basin in Baku and located at the highest point of Baku, the Bloody Lake began to dry up with a word of Hajibala Abutalibov. They were going to dry it and build something, but they couldn’t build anything. A large amount of money was allocated and the lake was completely drained. All the aquatic biodiversity that lived there was destroyed. The work done by nature and the Academy over the years was destroyed. They started draining the Khocasane lake with pipes. As a result, the lower Khojasen lake rose, and the surrounding houses were submerged. Nature cannot be sacrificed for big projects. Big projects sometimes don’t work. As Hajibala Abutalibov’s project did not work.
How should our water bodies be protected?
In general, when talking about the problem of protecting water bodies, first of all, it is necessary to prevent large projects. It is necessary to stand in front of every project that requires large funds. Now one of the most terrible projects is to get ahead of Kür. One of our big rivers is Kur. Kur constantly rises and falls depending on the season. That’s why the people of Azerbaijan knew very well when Kur would rise and fall. That’s why they built their houses outside the Kura, so that when the Kura rises, neither the pastures, nor the melons, nor the houses will be destroyed. Later, as a result of human nature, they started to build houses from the Kür ridge. Kür rises as usual and houses remain under Kür. After the houses are left under Kur, our “genius” experts put forward such an idea that by bringing ships from abroad, by digging the silt in front of Kur, Kur flows into the sea and there is no threshold in front of it. Man starts a war against nature. As a result, Kura begins to perish. The salty water of the sea enters the Kur, and the salty water goes through the Kur for 100-200 meters. Fishes used to go from the sea to Kura to spawn. However, they can no longer reach the Kura River. Kura starts its movement again. Then our “smarter” specialists decide to put a dam in front of Kur. This is a death sentence for fish living in the Caspian Sea, entering freshwater and spawning in freshwater. Look, this is the water basin problems in Azerbaijan. In many cases, they say there was poaching, and now they are preventing poaching. 5-10 poachers do not cause so much damage to nature.
How should protection of nature and water bodies be carried out in our liberated territories?
The Tartar River flowing through Araz and Kalbajar is the most protected in the liberated areas. The environment and nature of the Tartar River is very unique, its water is minerally different from the water of other rivers, and the remains of natural excavations brought by it are also different. Extensive measures should be taken to protect the Tartar River. At the moment, the alarm bell is being sounded all over the world about water scarcity, and we join it. For example, the issue of wolf protection was raised all over the world. They forced Azerbaijan to sign the protocols that the wolf should be protected throughout the world. Very nice! No one told the Ministry of Ecology of Azerbaijan that there are 14 wolves in Czechoslovakia, 31 in Germany, and 12 in Italy. There are 5000 wolves in Azerbaijan. It should be noted that wolves eat meat, not grass. These monsters eat the peasant’s property and attack the villages. So, if we protect nature and animals, we must also protect the peasant’s animals. Cow, sheep, horse are also animals. Why should we sign this convention?
Now everyone has decided that let’s build water reservoirs, there is a shortage of water in the world. I want to tell them that, dear colleagues, when Haji Zeynalabdin Tagiyev Shollar did not draw water, was there no water in Baku at that time? But where did the people of Baku and Absheron find water? There is always water. In many parts of Baku, Absheron, Azerbaijan, there are underground waters.
Gorgud Agayev