Page 72 - Azerbaijan State University of Economics

THE JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC SCIENCES: THEORY AND PRACTICE, V.73, # 1, 2016, pp. 64-77

Despite its young age, the country managed to reshuffle and refocus on
environmental-friendly industries and businesses, while engaging younger generation
in awareness-building and empowering each member of its community to become the
leader for local environmental action. The first ever Center for Restoration and
Rehabilitation of Wild Nature in the South Caucasus was established in Azerbaijan.
Children in Azerbaijan and throughout the Southern Caucasus grow up proudly
learning that they live in a region which boasts nine of the world‘s eleven climate
zones. It has more than its fair share of environmental wonders. But it also is a country
and a region with serious environmental challenges, from endangered species to
industrial pollution to basic issues of water supply and safety. The beginnings of a
government-led environmental investment programme are beginning to be seen in
Azerbaijan, with industrial clean-up, a strong National Parks project, mass tree
planting, and the first moves into renewable energy. The young generation in
Azerbaijan understands the difficulty and urgency of the environmental burdens of the
time and shares a common passion for the environment.
The Caucasian Biodiversity Summit was held at the Heydar Aliyev Center,
following the initiative of IDEA (International Dialogue for Environmental Action)
Public Association, and with the organizational support of the Heydar Aliyev
Foundation and the Heydar Aliyev Center. Azerbaijan‘s First Lady, President of the
Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mehriban Aliyeva, Foundation‘s Vice-president, founder
and head of IDEA Public Association Leyla Aliyeva, and Arzu Aliyeva attended the
event. The event was also joined by well-known international experts,
representatives of a number of influential organizations, including the International
Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Smithson
Institute, London Zoology Association and Harvard University, as well as scholars
from Azerbaijan.
In the recent years a lot of different projects have been implemented by Leyla
Aliyeva on protection of the environment and planning the future activities. The
project ―The Big Five of the Caucasus‖ providing for protection of 5 endangered
animal species – brown bear, emperor eagle, wolf, gazelle and the Caucasian
leopard is of special significance‖. IDEA participants launched a special campaign
with the motto of «Young tree for Young Spirit», according to which, 300.000 trees
were planted in 2012. Volunteers – students from different universities of Baku,
government workers, and representatives from different organizations – have
already made a huge progress and initial mass tree-planting took place on the
«Greening Department 2» located on the 17th km of the highway from Heydar
Aliyev Airport towards the city center, in Zikh highway.

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