Deputy minister: Climate change leads to land degradation, reduction of fresh water reserves

There is a process of degradation of lands suitable for agriculture, and freshwater reserves are decreasing in the world under the influence of global climate changes and anthropogenic factor, Azerbaijan's Deputy Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Vugar Karimov said at the regional climate conference on "Strengthening Climate Measures in the Agri-Food Sector of Europe and Central Asia," Report informs.

He noted that over the past 23 years, the temperature anomaly across the country was 1.1°C, and in 2023 the average temperature reached 14.6°C: "This is 1.9 degrees higher than the 1971-2000 norm (12.7°C). The highest average temperature in recent decades was recorded in 2013 and amounted to 14.8°C."

Karimov emphasized that compared to 1961-1990, all stations saw an increase in both the frequency and duration of heat waves: "In recent decades, these processes have increased several times: in Baku 29 times, in Ganja 16 times, in Shaki 41 times, and in Lankaran 5 times. The largest increase was observed in Baku and Shaki."

Karimov drew attention to the fact that climate changes in the world not only negatively affect the agricultural sector but also agricultural activity itself is one of the factors causing climate change: "Up to 20% of greenhouse gas emissions on a global scale are formed as a result of agricultural activities."