CBD Fourth National Report - Azerbaijan (English version)

Country Study on Biodiversity and Fourth National Report
The Republic of Azerbaijan
erosion process that 40.5% are weakly, 41.85% medium salted and 17.8% strongly eroded
soil.
87.6 thousand ha of eroded lands are located in Mountainous Shirvan, 78.8 thousand ha in
Kalbajar-Lachin and 72.9 thousand ha in Ganja-Gazakh regions.
The above can be referred to land reserves of Nakhichevan AR, too.
However it should be noted that arable lands reached to 50.5 thousand ha from 36.3 thousand
ha or increased as 14.2 thousand ha in 2008 as compared to 2003. It was possible mainly
resulted from involvement of uncropped and pasture fields to farming turnover being more
efficient from economical standpoint.
(See: Annexes 2.1, 2.2, 2.3 and 2.4)
Extent of human impact upon environment
One of factors considerably effecting to aggravation of
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countrywide ecological situation is characterized in
previously accumulated and presently generated wastes
that a part of them is considered to be hazardous.
According to official statistic data, there remained
approximate 2.5 million tons of hazardous wastes
currently which generated in landfills, enterprises and
refuse dumps.
Key industrial output - production of crude oil totalled to 44.5 million tons in 2008. So, the
decline in oil production was prevented which continued yearly due to objective causes since
1990 years. Of course, this growth considerably enhanced the extent of environmental impact.
Volume of pollutants (pollutant dispersion) diverted to water reservoirs decreased as 1.6
times, volume of pollutant emissions as 1.9 times in 2008 in comparison with 2002. Untreated
discharged effluents diverted to water facilities totalled to 181 million m 3 in 2008 and 94% of
incoming sewage are household-sanitary waste waters. Volume of pollutant emissions totalled
to 923 thousand tons and 281 thousand tons out of them are shared by stationary pollution
sources/ fixed sources of environmental pollution.
Volume of waters incoming from countrywide water-storage basins totalled to 11.7 billion
m 3 in 2008, nevertheless this figure equalled to 10 billion m 3 in 2001. Actual consumption of
water was 7.9 billion m 3 , 68% hereof was used in irrigation, 26% in production and 5% for
household-farming purposes. Despite strong water demand appeared in the country, 33% of
intake water is lost while its delivery.
Basic indices characterizing effect of human activity upon the environment are mentioned in
the following table:
Water taken from
water sources,
million m 3
Water consumption,
million m 3
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
10012
10075
10772
21
11440
12050
12360
12270
11735
6414 6754 7370 8019 8607 8865 8371 7886
2009