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Azerbaijan sets reclamation requirement for lands with mineral deposits

17 February 2026 12:37 (UTC +04:00)

A requirement is being established for the recultivation of land plots where mineral deposits are located in order to restore them to their previous or alternative usable condition, APA reports.

This is reflected in the proposed amendments to the law “On Subsoil,” which were discussed at today’s meeting of the Natural Resources, Energy and Ecology Committee of the Milli Majlis.

According to Article 13-1 (Reclamation of Subsoil Areas), proposed to be added to the law, subsoil users must ensure recultivation of these lands based on a recultivation plan in order to protect, restore and improve the fertility and other beneficial properties of the soil in the area where the work is carried out, as well as to improve the state of the environment.

The reclamation plan must be submitted to the body (organization) designated by the relevant executive authority within 3 (three) months after obtaining the right to use the subsoil by individuals and legal entities engaged in the exploitation of minerals, as well as the construction and operation of underground facilities, together with a positive opinion of the state ecological expertise on the reclamation plan of the body (organization) designated by the relevant executive authority.

Depending on the characteristics of the subsoil use area, the chemical composition of the rocks, and the type of contamination, the methods of reclamation (mechanical, biological, chemical, thermal) and their directions, including the duration, will be determined, and a reclamation plan will be prepared in accordance with the depth of exploitation, the type of mineral resource, and the volume to be extracted.

When preparing the reclamation plan, the following will be taken into account:

- the volume of the fertile layer of the soil and the area where the soil to be taken is collected;

- the characteristics of mineral resources and associated rocks;

- the hydrogeological and engineering-geological conditions of the area;

- the possibility of changes in the properties of rocks during storage and their environmental impact;

- the inadmissibility of groundwater pollution;

- the duration of mineral exploitation;

- the methods and sequence of restoration;

- the duration of restoration.

The procedure for reclamation in areas where subsoil-related activities are carried out will be determined by the body (institution) designated by the relevant executive authority.