(MENAFN- AzerNews) By Nigar Hasanova
Figuratively speaking, due to its own fault, nowadays humankind
lives on thin ice that is constantly threatened by climate
disasters. The ice on which we stand is being cracked by the
phenomenon known as climate change, which is caused by carbon
dioxide. Glaciers and ice sheets melt and shrink as a result of
these processes, which also alter the flora and fauna, cause
weather instability, and disrupt seasonal patterns. According to
scientists, global climate change is the root cause of these
concerning phenomena around the world. Due to the development of
agriculture and the increasing population, experts predict that
these effects will be more actual in the near future. The whole
world will suffer from climate change which stems from human
activities. Of course, together with other countries Azerbaijan
will face difficulties as well.
The country manager of the World Bank for Azerbaijan Stephanie
Stallmeister, noted that Azerbaijan is one of the countries that
can be directly affected by decarbonization on a global scale. She
noted that Azerbaijan will face both water scarcity and extreme hot
weather in the coming years. This will especially affect
agriculture.
The report released by the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change (IPCC) found that the average annual temperature in
the territory of Azerbaijan has increased by 0.4-1.3 degrees in the
last 100 years. Azerbaijan will be among the nations with the most
severe water shortages by 2040, and water supply will drop by 23%
by that year due to a climate-related drought. As things stand,
Azerbaijan is feeling the full force of climate change, with the
most obvious effects being a scarcity of water due to the drought
of mountain rivers and a decrease in Kura's water. As a drought
Kura, the biggest river in Azerbaijan, has not been able to reach
the Caspian Sea for two years. The current situation in Kura, which
is known for its "madness" and produced the worst flood in
Azerbaijan in 2010, exemplifies the negative effects of carbon
dioxide gases.
Despite Azerbaijan's 0.11% contribution of global greenhouse gas
emissions, the country started to actively participate in
decarbonization initiatives to address the urgent problems listed
above. Azerbaijan has committed to reducing its greenhouse gas
emissions by 30% from 1990 levels by 2030 and by 40% by 2050, as
part of the Paris Climate Agreement.
In order to ensure the private sector's participation in this
field and to enhance the share of installed electricity generation
from renewable energy sources, Azerbaijan formed the Renewable
Energy Agency as part of its sector transformation strategy.
The agency's primary plan calls for the construction of the
hydroelectric plants“Khudafarin” and“GizGalasi.” The completion
of the 80 MW“GızGalasi” and 200 MW“Khudafarin” hydropower plants
is expected to be within the next two to three years.
In line with the adaptation's“green energy space” sub-goal,
energy efficiency and the usage of electric vehicles will be
prioritized concurrently. According to data made public by the
State Customs Committee, there were 476 more imported cars with
exclusively electric motors during the same period last year, or
6.2 times as many as there were during the previous year.
Besides local actions Azerbaijan also cooperated with other
international companies and organizations.
In October 2023, Azerbaijan filed their updated NDC. The
European Union (EU) provided funding for the NDC revision through
the EU4Climate program. EU4Climate, an EU-funded program run by
UNDP, helps six Eastern Partnership nations better their climate
laws and policies while also assisting in implementing the Paris
Agreement. EU4Climate is also offering assistance in Azerbaijan
with the NDC Finance Strategy and Investment Plan preparation. The
sectors selected for mitigation strategies in the amended NDC are
waste management, forestry, land use change, energy, industrial
processes and product consumption, and agriculture. The nation will
continue to develop and carry out suitable adaptation measures for
especially sensitive sectors like agriculture, as the updated NDC
affirms.
With“ACWA Power” of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and“Masdar” of
the United Arab Emirates, pilot projects pertaining to the
construction of 240 MW wind power plants and 230 MW solar power
plants, respectively, have been initiated. With the companies in
this direction,“investment agreements,”“energy purchase and sale
agreements,” and“transmission network connection agreements” were
signed. An estimated $500 million in foreign investment will be
invested to build these 470 megawatt reactors. Beyond that, an
Executive Agreement was signed with the BP firm regarding the
assessment and execution of the 240 MW solar power plant
construction project in the Zangilan/Jabrayil area.
The Asian Development Bank is supporting the implementation of
the project“Knowledge exchange and Technical Assistance Support
for the Development of floating solar panels” concurrently. As part
of this project, a 100 kW pilot floating solar system will be
installed on Lake Boyukshor, a first for Azerbaijan.
To prepare the“Green Energy Zone” Concept and Master Plan in
the areas liberated from occupation, an agreement was made with
TEPSCO, a Japanese business that specializes in this field. Work is
now being carried in this direction.
Although Azerbaijan's efforts help both the local and global
environment, the issue is far more global and requires
international cooperation. For a long time now, a number of
international events, including scientific and practical
conferences, have been held related to this global problem, and
various proposals have been put forward to eliminate the
consequences and prevent projected expectations. If not taken
action, based on given data climate disasters will become so
extreme that people will not be able to adapt. Basic components of
the Earth system will be fundamentally, irrevocably altered. Heat
waves, famines, and infectious diseases could claim millions of
additional lives by century's end.
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