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NGO chairman: Biodiversity in Azerbaijan’s sovereign territories significantly damaged during occupation

Chairman of the “Biodiversity Center” Public Union Tavakkul Isgandarov

05 October 2026 16:02 (UTC +04:00)

Significant damage was caused to the environment and biodiversity in Azerbaijan’s sovereign territories during the occupation, Chairman of the “Biodiversity Center” Public Union Tavakkul Isgandarov said at a briefing of the Environmental Protection First NGO Coalition on “Environmental Impact of Mining Activities Carried Out in the Territory of Armenia,” APA reports.

He noted that approximately 8,900 hectares of forest area were lost during the occupation, while more than 50,000 hectares of forest were separately destroyed: “Rare Oriental plane trees, including trees in the territory of the Basitchay State Nature Reserve, were destroyed, and protected natural areas were damaged. In addition, approximately 54,544 hectares of agricultural land were taken out of productive use between 1995 and 2015. At the same time, irrigation infrastructure was also destroyed during the occupation. The failure to properly manage the Sarsang reservoir and changes to the water-use regime during the occupation restricted access to water for the population and agriculture of the surrounding districts.”

Gunay Elshan

Azerbaijan Tavakkul Isgandarov Biodiversity Center biodiversity environment occupation forests Basitchay State Nature Reserve Oriental plane trees agricultural land irrigation infrastructure Sarsang reservoir Environmental Protection First