Food & Climate
Water is now more important than oil and gas due to food security, an Azerbaijani official said on the occasion of the UN COP29 in Baku.
Food production faces many challenges globally, so, the world’s eyes are now on Azerbaijan, where the COP29 is being held, and what it can offer to this problem. “Food & Climate” platform met Dr. Al Khan Lopukhov, ambassador of Azerbaijan in Egypt, and he stressed that his country, which suffers from some of food production challenges like shortage of fresh water, will seek to address them for the world and not just in his country.
Below is the text of the interview:
What is the share of food production at COP29?
One of initiatives of COP29 is a report about impact of agriculture to environment.
We need to get modern technology to this area because we cannot live without agriculture
Food security is known less diplomatic area than environment itself.
But we can invest in the modern technology to decrease the negative impact from development of agriculture to the nature by working on how we can decrease the emissions of the greenhouse gasses.
As I said we will invest a big amount finance to fill our application to decrease greenhouse gasses.
Azerbaijan needs to invest around 40 billion dollars in this new technology to adopt it in our country.
Azerbaijan is ready for these challenges because we have understanded the importance of these projects.
What about food production in Azerbaijan?
Today agricultural products are the second largest export in Azerbaijan, after oil and gas. We export agricultural products to the region countries and abroad to China, America, Europe, and other countries.
Our idea to increase of our agriculture. After the liberation of Karabakh, we regained 20% of our land and its open new opportunities for us.
Urban lands there which can be used for agriculture need not only for crops food and vegetables production but also to increase number of livestock and poultry and another meat products and start export it.
This area is strategic importance to each country and Azerbaijan has very serious approach to all of these issues.
Azerbaijan products little but different because we have organic products which help people to be healthier and account for the future.
I read that Azerbaijan has thousands of rivers, is this right?
Azerbaijan has more than 8000 rivers, but our country is accounted in a row of countries with low water resources. The largest river of Azerbaijan is Kura River which come from Georgia, Araks in the south and Samur in the north.
But despite of that, Azerbaijan does not have enough fresh water?
Yes, and this is a problem in many countries, so, we invest big amount in irrigation systems for decrease water losses, which accrues during transportation.
We work on that every year. For example, we renovated dams on rivers and we are working to build new channels to supply water to every part of the country.
Azerbaijan has 9 out of 11 climate zones in the world. Like desert, semi desert and fortunately, the sweet water.
The main idea to introduce the best management to existing water resources, and make use it effectively.
But this matter is not only concerns of Azerbaijan, because most of our rivers come from another countries.
Aras comes from Armenia and Kura comes from Georgia, and these countries need also to use the water, so we are trying to introduce mechanism of regional cooperation in that mater with Turkey, Iran, Georgia and Armenia. We have agreements with Turkey, Georgia and Iran, but not activated bilaterally with Armenia.
Water now is more important than the oil and gas because it means food security. That’s why this problem need to be solved.
Nowadays we see the floods in Saudi Arabia, Libya, and Spain and in some desert areas and by some estimates it is the result of climate change. In some locations there are uncontrolled floods and others there is a water shortage.
But water shortages are a more common problem than floods?
Yes, because it come once sadden and there is no technology to collect this rains water, so we must invest in these technologies.
Will Azerbaijan try to collect finance to its food projects at COP29?
At COP29, we are looking for not only our own benefit but general benefits, because if your table full of foods but your neighbor does not have it is definitely affected you, that is why we are looking for investment and support of Lost and Damage fund. Defiantly we work on our national agenda but we work on more general agenda too.
So, we want results benefit our country, countries surrounded us and all around world. You cannot survive without regional cooperation, you cannot have luxury to enjoy isolated, it is not possible anymore, and so, you have to think globally.