Over the last 25 years, the temperature anomaly in Azerbaijan has been 1.1 degrees Celsius, Mukhtar Babayev, the President of Azerbaijan's Special Representative on climate issues, said at the 5th Agribusiness Development Forum held within the framework of Caspian Agro Week in Baku, Report informs.
According to him, it is necessary to understand the realities related to climate change: "As a result, additional difficulties arise for both ecosystem sustainability and agricultural activities. Climate change is also relevant for our country. Over the last 25 years, the temperature anomaly in Azerbaijan has been 1.1 degrees Celsius. In 2025, the average temperature reached 14.3 degrees. This is 1.6 degrees higher compared to previous periods. The highest average temperature was recorded in 2021 at 16.2 degrees. We are talking about the annual average temperature."
He added that heat waves also occur frequently and last longer: "In recent years, 29 heat waves have been recorded in Baku, 16 in Ganja, 41 in Sheki, and 5 in Lankaran. In 2025, the longest heat wave lasted 14 days in Sheki and 7 days in Baku. The number of flood events has also increased. In 2015, there were 15, in 2020 already 36, and in 2025, 33 flood events occurred. These figures show that we are no longer just observing changes - we are living through these changes. The first months of 2026 also confirm this trend. In some regions, half of the annual precipitation norm was recorded in just a few months. In April, precipitation in some districts exceeded the norm by 1.5 to 3.5 times, and in Baku by 5 times. The main challenge is uncertainty. The nature of seasons is changing, the distribution of precipitation is changing, temperature peaks are changing. This complicates planning and increases investment risks."