Geography and Environment

2017-2018: Climate Landscape Analysis for Children, aims to evaluate the baseline situation of climate, energy and environment-related issues affecting children. The study looks at parties, all the stakeholders, ministries, communities, and international organizations which conduct several types of studies related to children, environment and climate changes. The report will also examine current government and community policies with respect to children, environment and climate changes and, make recommendations for changing the current situation.

2016-2018: Child Centered Disaster Risk Assessment.  The main goal of this study was to make child centered risk assessment for rural regions. Disaster risk assessment and mapping is the process of collecting and analyzing information about hazards, the likelihood and impact, as well as vulnerability of a population to these hazards. The aim of DRA and mapping is to provide a clear picture of the hazard and vulnerability in the targeted area. This information is used during the awareness-raising process, which is the initial stage of mainstreaming.

2014-2016: Water Balance of the Khojasan lake. The goal of the study was to estimate the water balance of the Khojasan lake, which requires detailed measurements and assessments on all types of water inputs and outputs. Assessment methods consist of a broad range of actions that include direct measurements over inflows and outflows, processing of meteorological data, and implementation of hydrological models.

2011-2012: Improving habitats of the Caspian Sturgeons. This study was supported by the Rufford foundation. The study aims to equip water supply sites with special types of equipment to protect young fish from being sucked into pipes. The rivers of Azerbaijan are the preferred spawning grounds for the Caspian Sea sturgeon.  The Caspian Sea contains over 90% of the world’s sturgeon population. European sturgeon and Russian sturgeon are the most valuable representatives and are the only source of black caviar. These species migrate up rivers to spawning grounds. Clearly, fish movement in these rivers is vital to the economy. Thus understanding the impact of high capacity pumping on the sturgeon population would be important to the caviar industry and Water Utilities. 

2011-2012: Integrated Urban Water Management Study for the Greater Baku Area, economic assessment. Despite relatively high levels of service coverage overall (about 95 percent of the people in Baku, 83 percent of those in other urban areas), the quality and reliability of water supply and sanitation services in most parts of Azerbaijan has deteriorated significantly, raising serious concerns. The study aims to evaluate the water supply’s current condition and to evaluate future opportunities to improve urban water management in the Greater Baku area. This project is a part of the Greater Baku Water Supply project funded by the World Bank.

2010-2011: Indexing of Environmental Vulnerability of Mountain Streams of Azerbaijan. Funded by German Academic Exchange Service, DAAD. A simple environmental vulnerability assessment scheme was developed and applied to several Azerbaijani streams. The scheme takes into account the combined impact of water withdrawals, pollution, climate change on flow variability and land use. These factors were selected based on their ability to measure environmental impact. The effect of these factors on the vulnerability assessment varies widely based on regional differences. 

2009-2010: Curricula Development Project: “Environmental Security and Resource Management in the Caspian Region”. Course Development Competition Grant of the Central European University, Hungary.

The new course “Environmental Security and Resource management in the Caspian Region” has been designed. This is a regional inter-disciplinary course taught at Khazar University (Azerbaijan) and Eurasian National University (Kazakhstan) simultaneously. The course provides an overview of key environmental management concepts, identifies areas of global and regional environmental concern, and reviews effective environmental management strategies and tools.

2008: Curricula Development Project: “Environmental Management”. Grant of the Central European University, Hungary. Environmental management course (EM) is an introduction to the biophysical, community and institutional components of comprehensive environmental management. This course emphasizes the natural and social processes that control the quality and quantity of natural resources.

2007-2008: Curricula development for secondary schools of Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan (related to Caspian Sea).This project was founded by small grants of the Democracy Commission (USA). Because the Caspian Sea provides economic value to many nations, wise management of its resources is essential to maintaining peace and economic development in the region. However, the low level of regional public awareness threatens the ability to find acceptable solutions for the management of Caspian Sea resources.  The comprehensive curricula attempt to address this deficiency and was produced in consultation with secondary school teachers from Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan. The curricula were published in Kazakh and Azerbaijani languages to encourage broad dissemination.

2007: Junior Faculty Development Project (JFDP) project on Environmental Studies curricula. Grant provided by the Democracy Commission, USA. This project resulted in the development of various curricula samples to improve access to education.  All of the developed curricula models were printed in the form of compact brochure (attached) in Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan. These brochures were sent to 150 schools and libraries of Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan. These materials attempt to address the scarcity of in-school education in Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan.  Because school education is arguably the most effective means to increase public awareness regarding the environment.   Therefore, the development of various educational resources is very important.  Moreover, this project will stimulate regional institutions to prepare similar curricula models, regarding various ecological and social problems of Caspian nations in the future.

2009: Introducing Environmental thresholds into Water withdrawal Management in small streams of the Kura Basin, Azerbaijan. Funded by Junior Faculty Development Program, USA. 

2008: Environmental challenges of the Caspian Sea and future options for the best management practices. Funded by International Lake Environmental Committee, Japan.

2008: Analysis of non-climatic origins of floods in the downstream part of the Kura River, Azerbaijan. Funded by Khazar University.