Samir Dubendi, Executive Director of the Azerbaijan Ecotourism Association: “In order to use water bodies and their resources for ecotourism purposes, it is necessary to improve the legislation in this area, develop a number of rules, regulations and standards.”
“Creating ecotourism activities in liberated areas should be accessible to businesses”
Protection of the environment in our liberated territories, compliance with ecotourism standards and proper use of the region’s potential in this regard are important factors in economic reintegration. The massive return of the population to our liberated territories, the creation of settlements and modern infrastructure there has returned Karabakh to our society. However, the mass settlement of these areas, at the same time, the growing international interest in Karabakh, and the desire to travel by foreign tourists make the establishment of tourism, especially ecotourism standards in the region urgent. The opinions and suggestions of experts and scientists on the subject are of interest to our society.
This time our interviewee is Samir Dubendi, Executive Director of Azerbaijan Ecotourism Association.
– Protecting the environment, including water bodies and their bioresources, as well as other natural resources in our liberated territories, is also important in terms of compliance with the principles of “green growth” in our country. In this context, how do you evaluate the measures implemented in our country, including in the liberated areas?
– As it is known, ecology, including efficient exploitation and management of water resources, is an issue on the agenda for the world, and these questions are for countries they create a series of challenges. Protection of water bodies and their bioresources in our country is carried out through a number of state institutions. I think that our country, the population as a whole, should be more attentive to the issues of efficient use of water. As for the issue of using water basins and their resources for ecotourism, I think it is necessary to improve the legislation in this area, develop a number of rules, regulations and standards. In general, we need to strengthen environmental awareness, creating ecotourism activities should be accessible to businesses.
– As part of the Great Return, people will be more densely populated in the liberated territories. This increases the possibility of relatively more pollution of water bodies. In this sense, the education of the population relocated to the regions, ecotourism enthusiasts, amateur fishermen and other groups in terms of environment and ecotourism is the need of the day. What actions are needed in this direction? Are researches being conducted in this direction?
– Environmental education should start from a young age for people. It should become a philosophy, a way of life. It is also necessary to work with older people. As I mentioned earlier, as a result of improving the legislation and strong education, we can prevent the issues you mentioned, use water, bioresources, nature effectively, and protect biodiversity. Unfortunately, we still face poaching and destruction of nature in the field of hunting and fishing.
– What dangers and threats does “Metsamor” have to the Karabakh region and to the ecological situation of the region in general?
-I can only point out that, with the exception of alternative and renewable energy, and until recently, AES Nuclear Power Stations were considered the safest and most ecological energy production, provided they were properly operated. As far as we know, Armenia is dumping Metsamor’s wastewater into transboundary rivers, its service life has already passed, and this poses a threat to the entire region. Azerbaijan has already called for the closure of this nuclear plant at the international level. Let’s hope that international circles will hear these calls and appropriate measures will be taken in this direction soon.
– Taking advantage of the potential of ecotourism by following the principles of “green growth” and thereby contributing to the effective reintegration of those areas is also profitable from an economic point of view. It is also reported that the touristic potential of that region is high. From this point of view, what steps should be taken to develop ecotourism in those areas?
– Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur, as well as the entire country in general, have a high potential for ecotourism. Every corner of our homeland, which is rich in rare and different natural and anthropogenic resources, is suitable for ecotourism activities. The concept of ecotourism is a bit broader than we think, it includes the principles of sustainable development. In terms of ecotourism, in addition to natural resources, national heritage examples, historical-architectural gems, national cuisine, folklore and other eco-ethno-social environment of our people are also considered. We must protect them and pass them on to the next generation. Therefore, we should use it with care, protection and protection. In this case, we will be committed to the principles of sustainability.
Ecotourism, including the tourism industry in general, has been recognized as a priority direction in the non-energy sector as a sector of economic activity. Along with economic benefits, tourism carries a kind of ideological burden, it is important in promoting the country, its resources, population, culture, and history, and shaping its image in the world. I think that ecotourism activities in Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur will increase significantly in the near future. The logical continuation of the “green village”, “green city”, “green energy” concepts founded by the President of the country is to develop ecotourism in Karabakh.
– Measures related to the protection of bioresources and living things in water basins are also important in the liberated areas. What measures can be taken to prevent illegal hunting and poaching? What suggestions do you have?
– I would like to note that currently works are being done on the creation of National Parks and tourism recreation zones in Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur. The creation of specially protected natural areas will pave the way for the formation of ecotourism activities in those areas in compliance with ecological norms and requirements. At present, ecotourism activities in the territories of national parks are not given much attention. It is necessary to carry out serious reforms in this area.
I think that our compatriots who migrated to the Karabakh region as part of the great return, the real owners of those lands, will not allow the negative situations you mentioned to happen. Karabakh is a dear, native and holy land for each of our citizens. The development of these areas is the sacred duty of each of us. We are capable of turning Karabakh into one of the bright tourist destinations of the world in the near future, and it will definitely happen.
– What social media projects can be implemented in terms of education, promotion and information for the main audience and target groups in this regard? How should propaganda be built using new media?
– I would like to touch on one issue within this question. Approaches to ecotourism and ways of understanding this concept are different in society. In some cases, even people and businesses offering services in the name of ecotourism do not fully understand the essence of ecotourism. For example, trips to natural areas, including specially protected areas, with off-road, large-engine, diesel and high-emission vehicles cannot be described as ecotourism activities in any sense. Or the act of destroying the fauna in the name of hunting and fishing, committing a kind of “genocide” against wild animals, also arouses great regret in us. We would like the mass media, television, radio and information internet resources to pay more attention to environmental issues, environmental education, increase of environmental culture in the country and population, and ecotourism issues, and to allocate a special place to thematic programs, articles, researches. I would like to use the opportunity to call the editorial offices and editors to this.
On the other hand, tourism is understood as a type of economic activity, as a business. As we know, for the development of every economic sector, several factors must be satisfied, one of them is the credit condition of that sector, which is considered as a very necessary economic tool. It is necessary to review the business lending conditions of ecotourism and the tourism and hospitality industry in general, it is desirable to ensure that liquidity, guarantee, collateral and other issues meet the requirements of the tourism sector.
The article was prepared within the framework of the “Ecotourism standards in liberated areas” project implemented by the Public Union of Integration to the Globalized World with the financial support of the State Support Agency for Non-Governmental Organizations of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The position of the author or the interviewee and the position of the State Support Agency for Non-Governmental Organizations may not be consistent.