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Nazrin Abdul

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At present, work is being done to prepare a new climate strategy.

This was stated by Mukhtar Babayev, Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources and President-designate of COP29, at the International Forum of Ombudsmen, Azernews reports.

He mentioned that political, economic, and legislative reforms aimed at the decarbonization of the economy have been carried out in recent years: "In this field, normative legal acts have been adopted and practical steps have been taken. Nevertheless, it is important to improve legal mechanisms. Our legal systems must ensure the implementation of global agreements on climate change, implement justice, and, most importantly, protect the rights of those who are vulnerable to climate issues. These tasks must be addressed not only at the national level but also within the framework of international cooperation."

M. Babayev added that Azerbaijan's climate strategy includes both adaptation to global commitments and implementation of national priorities.

"The new strategy will cover all economic sectors and aim for low-carbon development. When preparing the document, we pay special attention to inclusion and human rights. Active measures are being taken to ensure that the most vulnerable groups, including children, women, and indigenous people, are at the center of our climate policies. For this, various interesting meetings and discussions are organized between the parties," the minister noted.

He also pointed out the existence of serious challenges that await resolution: "One of the biggest challenges is increasing the capacity to adapt to climate change. In particular, limited access to clean technology and international climate finance systems makes it difficult to implement projects at the local level."

The minister also noted that in the last 30 years, the number of hot and dry winds that seriously damage agriculture in Azerbaijan has increased 14 times, and the duration of drought has increased by more than 20%.

According to him, the number of hail events has increased more than three times in the last ten years: "Hail used to be observed mainly in mountainous and foothill regions, but now this phenomenon also covers plain areas."

The minister stated that Azerbaijan's water resources have decreased by about 15 percent over the past decades: "This decrease is mainly due to the increase in drought, rising temperatures, and uneven distribution of precipitation. Most of Azerbaijan's water resources are formed from transboundary waters from neighboring countries; therefore, regional climate changes have a serious impact on the water balance within the country."

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