Azerbaijan faces surge in flood incidents, says Deputy Minister at COP29

Azerbaijan has seen an unprecedented increase in flood incidents in recent years, Azernews reports that this was stated by Umayra Tagiyeva, Deputy Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources.

Speaking at the high-level event titled “Strengthening Climate Information and Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems for Increased Resilience” during COP29 in Baku, Tagiyeva shared the latest data on the country’s climate challenges.

"Last year, we recorded 147 flood incidents, and this year, the number has already reached 109," Tagiyeva said, highlighting the escalating frequency of such events. She also pointed to recent findings from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which show an overall increase in the frequency and duration of heatwaves worldwide. In Azerbaijan, heatwaves have also become more frequent, presenting additional challenges for the country.

To address these rising climate risks, Azerbaijan has launched collaborative research efforts involving the Geography Institute of the Ministry of Science and Education, the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources. This collaboration has led to the development of new climate-related products, such as medical-meteorological forecasts and warnings.

“These forecasts are not only aimed at individuals sensitive to weather changes, such as those with cardiovascular diseases, but also for the general public,” Tagiyeva explained.

She emphasized that early warnings about heatwaves during hot periods have significantly reduced the number of emergency calls related to heat and sunstrokes. "Despite the increase in hot days, public awareness campaigns have contributed to a noticeable decline in emergency medical assistance requests compared to previous years," she added.