President Ilham Aliyev has addressed a message on the occasion of the 2026 World Environment Day.
elchi reports that the message states:
“Dear participants,
I sincerely congratulate you all on the occasion of World Environment Day.
It is a significant event that Azerbaijan is hosting this global event for the first time in the region. This is an indicator of the high appreciation for Azerbaijan’s active role in raising awareness about environmental protection at the international level and its contribution to collective efforts to protect our planet.
In the 21st century, environmental protection is a shared responsibility of the international community. The increasingly devastating consequences of climate change, the rapid depletion of natural resources, including water resources, the loss of biodiversity, land degradation, pollution, and extreme heat are interconnected processes that require urgent measures.
The environmental problems facing our planet have a serious impact not only on ecosystems but also on sustainable development, human health, living conditions, and the progress of countries. The well-being of future generations depends on our ability to overcome these challenges today.
In Azerbaijan, we treat this commitment with full responsibility and are implementing large-scale projects in the field of environmental protection.
Today, we observe an increase in both floods and droughts across the country. Water scarcity is a matter of serious concern not only for Azerbaijan but for the entire region. The fact that the level of the Caspian Sea is approaching the historical minimum recorded over the last two centuries is a clear indicator of the seriousness of the problem.
Clean environment and ‘green growth’ have been identified as one of the five main national priorities for Azerbaijan’s socio-economic development until 2030. In accordance with this priority, purposeful efforts are being made to increase greenery and forest areas, ensure efficient use of water resources and sustainable energy sources, and create modern infrastructure for waste management.
In order to protect biodiversity, specially protected natural areas are being expanded in Azerbaijan. The Hirkan forests, which are rich in many relict, as well as regional and local endemic flora species and contain rare forest massifs, are the first natural site in Azerbaijan included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Unfortunately, our territories that were under occupation for about 30 years were subjected to ecocide and urbicide, which led to the disruption of the ecological balance in those areas. In addition, the numerous mines planted in the occupied territories continue to cause serious environmental damage today.
Immediately after the liberation of our territories from occupation, Azerbaijan began large-scale reconstruction and restoration work in the Karabakh and East Zangezur economic regions. The reconstruction of infrastructure in accordance with the ‘Smart City’ and ‘Smart Village’ concepts, the implementation of green energy projects, and the application of modern technologies will contribute to the restoration of the local ecosystem.
At the same time, Karabakh and East Zangezur, which have been declared green energy zones, possess vast renewable energy potential, including solar, wind, and hydropower resources. Developing green energy is among the priorities of Azerbaijan’s state policy.
Dear participants,
This year’s World Environment Day, held under the global theme ‘Inspired by Nature. For Climate. For Our Future,’ emphasizes the urgent need to strengthen the synergy between climate action and nature.
Today, the borderless consequences of the climate crisis make it necessary to strengthen international cooperation. During its presidency of COP29, Azerbaijan provided an important platform for climate diplomacy and multilateral dialogue, further strengthening global solidarity by building a bridge between developing and developed countries. The ‘Baku Breakthrough,’ which constitutes the COP legacy of Azerbaijan, was marked by historic decisions.
Since COP29, our climate leadership has continued, and Azerbaijan hosted the 13th session of the World Urban Forum, the largest in its history. The event resulted in the adoption of the ‘Baku Call to Action’ document. The document emphasizes the need to strengthen international cooperation and take concrete steps to ensure sustainable, accessible, and climate-resilient housing for all.
In order to leave a green and sustainable world to future generations, Azerbaijan will continue to play an active role in advancing the global environmental agenda by further promoting multilateral cooperation.
I wish success to the work of the event.”
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11:22
President Ilham Aliyev has addressed a message to the participants of the international event dedicated to World Environment Day (WED), held at the Heydar Aliyev Center with Azerbaijan as the host.
The text of the message was read by Mukhtar Babayev, the President’s Representative for Climate Issues.