Institute Of Development And Diplomacy, Alongside Partners, Hosts Climate And Water Summit

(MENAFN- AzerNews)

Nazrin Abdul Read more

The "Climate and Water Summit Towards COP29" takes place at ADAUniversity in Baku on May 16, Azernews reports.

The Institute of Development and Diplomacy, incollaboration with the UN Azerbaijan delegation, the SustainableFuture Commission, Bogaziçi University, and TUBITAK, hosted aClimate and Water Summit. The event brought togetherrepresentatives from government, academic institutions,international organizations, and the private sector to discussglobal climate and water issues and explore potentialsolutions.

Experts from the Ministry of Ecology and NaturalResources, FAO, and the UN Resident Coordinator's office inAzerbaijan provided insights into the current state of waterresources and offered forecasts for the near future.

At the ceremony, attended by esteemed guests includingFariz Ismayilzade, ADA University's vice-rector for State, foreign,and student affairs, Dogan Başaran, Chairman of the "SustainableFuture Commission," Aynur Seyidyusif, an expert from "Food ControlSystem Assessment Tool" FAO, Mirmovsum Dadashov, director of theAzerbaijan State Water Resources Agency, Orkhan Mikayil, theexecutive director of "Aqualink" company and Azerbaijani chairmanof the "Sustainable Future Commission", Azerbaijan Milli Majlisdeputies Jeyhun Mammadov and Jale Elekberova, drawing participationfrom, academic institutions, international organisations, andprivate sector experts.

Welcoming the attendees, Fariz Ismayilzade, ADA University'svice-rector for State, highlighted the need for heightened academicand scientific discussions at the upcoming COP29 event inAzerbaijan.

“During a recent conversation with COP29 President MukhtarBabayev, we explored the notion of enhancing academic andscientific discourse at the upcoming summit in Baku. Unlikeprevious ones, this year's event is anticipated to prominentlyfeature scientists, with dedicated platforms designed for theiractive involvement in discussions regarding contemporarydevelopments. Their insights will facilitate the provision ofrecommendations to policymakers, informed by the deliberations,” hestated.

Highlighting ADA University's contribution to academicdiscourse, Ismayilzadeh revealed that ten conferences have beenhosted this year alone, including a significant event in Aprilattended by President Ilham Aliyev.

"We have already organized 10 conferences of differentscales starting from this year. The largest of these conferenceswas held in April with the participation of Mr. President. At thatconference, Mr. President discussed climate changes, the COP summitand other topics with foreign experts for four hours. We willcontinue such events this year among scientists, researchers, andpoliticians."

Dogan Başaran, Chairman of the "Sustainable FutureCommission," underscored the historic significance of Azerbaijanhosting COP for the first time in a Turkic state, advocating forglobal collaboration to combat climate change.

Head of the Office of the UN Resident Coordinator inAzerbaijan Kanako Mabuchi said that greenhouse gas emissions mustbe reduced by 43 percent until 2030 compared to 2019.

“The next few years will largely determine whether wecan limit the rise in global temperatures to 1.5 degrees and staywithin this limit,” she emphasized.

The UN representative mentioned that gas emissionsshould already peak by 2025.

“The UAE Consensus, which was adopted at COP28 inDubai, calls on all countries to divest from fossil fuels toachieve net zero and calls on them to introduce nationally targetedcontributions for the entire economy,” added Mabuchi.

Aynur Seyidyusif, an expert from FAO, warned ofpotential conflicts arising from water scarcity, urginginternational cooperation for sustainable water resourcemanagement.

She highlighted the adverse effects of water scarcity ondomestic consumption, agriculture, and industry.

"In the face of climate change, water scarcity has sparkeddebates. To prevent water supply reductions, immediate action isneeded." emphasized the expert.

She mentioned that efforts in this domain are underwaydomestically and internationally, involving diplomatic andtechnical dialogues on water management between nations.

"These endeavors will be pivotal in conserving and augmentingwater reserves. Considering agriculture stands as one of the mostsignificant water consumers globally, FAO's endeavors reflect acommitment to utilizing water more sustainably by integrating newtechnologies and innovations," Seyidyusif noted.

Mirmovsum Dadashov, director of the Azerbaijan StateWater Resources Agency, outlined plans to mitigate the impact ofclimate change on water resources through innovative technologiesand adaptation measures.

Azerbaijani MP Jeyhun Mammadov called for intensifiedefforts to combat climate change, highlighting Azerbaijan'sproactive measures towards water security and environmentalsustainability.

As preparations for COP29 continue, Azerbaijan'scommitment to addressing climate change and safeguarding its waterresources remains steadfast, signalling its active role in tacklingthese pressing global challenges.

Experts highlighted the significant utilization ofwater resources in agriculture, emphasizing an observed 15%decrease in our country's water resources attributed to climatechange. The event proceeded with panel discussions on thistopic.

MENAFN16052024000195011045ID1108221314