CBD Fourth National Report - Azerbaijan (English version)

Country Study on Biodiversity and Fourth National Report
The Republic of Azerbaijan
g) driving of livestock and cattle into the area and coming of people hereof for the
purpose of recreation, hunting and wood procurement due to absence of border marks
in major parts of PAs boundaries and nondigging of protection trenches in necessary
parts;
h) weakly organization of enlightenment of local communities living in frontier with PAs
and absence of interest for them in protection of these areas;
i) low level knowledge of specialists for arrangement of ecotourism in National Parks
and poor necessary conditions for tourists in recreational zones and etc.
In Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic a number of villages are located along the borders of
the protected areas, and summer pastures near Zangazur National Park and Ordubad State
Nature Sanctuary are significantly overgrazed, being used by up to 250,000 head of livestock
each year.
4.2. Conservation outside Protected Areas
4.2.1. In situ conservation measures in the wider landscape
The President of Azerbaijan Republic signed a Decree №1152 dated February 18, 2003
“National Programme on forest renewal and enhancement in Azerbaijan Republic” and
according to the Decree the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources prepared National
Programme on forest renewal and enhancement by involving state and local self-governing
bodies and scientific organizations. There carried out actions for forest renewal and
reafforestation at 69700 ha area under the Programme. 66400 ha of them are shared by the
Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources.
There established regional forest seed orchards such as Absheron, Guba and Kura (Hajigabul)
in order to create plant materials containing various trees and shrubs required for
establishment of protective forest lands in Caspianside sandy places. More than 21 million
various trees and shrubs were cultivated in the above regional forest seed orchards from their
establishment time up today. The Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources carried out
reafforestation works at total 60674 ha area from its establishment time up today that 24132
ha are shared by newly planted forests. At the same time, total 200 million plant materials
were cultivated in various cultivars and strains comprised by trees and shrubs within this
period. Seed harvesting totalled to 1155 tons.
Moreover, launching of National Monitoring system on 2001 aims at collection of
environmental monitoring data and tracking of processes in water basins, soil and atmosphere
and, assessment of anthropogenous impacts upon the environment. The Ministry of Ecology
and Natural Resources has created special network engaged in collection of information and
data on biodiversity monitoring, i.e. vegetation and forests and animal population within this
structure.
4.2.2. Ex situ conservation
In general, there is little ex-situ propagation or reintroduction of rare native species in
Azerbaijan, despite recent efforts to improve the situation including legislation to support exsitu
conservation 39 . In particular, there is a real lack of local expertise in ex-situ conservation.
39 Presidential Decree No 675 IQ (1999) and Cabinet of Ministers Decree No 117 (2000)
107
2009