ENVIRONMENT > AZERBAIJAN

School-based forest units: the tradition existed in Azerbaijan before, now its time to restore it and to make it t the contemporary environment. So far, children have been sensitised to forest protection thanks to the eorts of the Centre of Environmental Education in Baku. Now, a European-supported initiative is aiming to extend their work and to create school-based teams of Young Foresters. Because the necessity to prevent deforestation and to expand the green topsoil is today a priority in the country, which cannot be met without increasing the populations environmental education.
Text and photos by Shahin Abbasov

Young Green Patrols in action: By protecting trees we protect our future

www.enpi-info.eu
N A forest in Azerbaijan Gabala region.

This publication does not represent the ocial view of the EC or the EU institutions. The EC accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to its content.

Baku The future is in our hands. The environment we will be living in depends very much on how we will protect plants and forests, how we will prevent deforestation. This is the opinion of 14-year-old Sahavat Guseynov. He is a member of the Green Patrol unit, established under the Republican Centre of Environmental Education of Azerbaijans Ministry of Education. This Centre supports the idea of creating schoolbased teams of Young foresters, which is being implemented within the EU-funded ENPI-FLEG (Forest Law Enforcement and Governance) programme. The Centre is located in one of the most beautiful spots of Baku, in a park where the residence of famous oil-magnates, the brothers Lud- ENPI Info Centre Feature no. 51 wig and Robert Nobel, stood in the early 20th century. We plant trees This is a series of features on projects funded by the EUs Regional regularly, says Sahavat Huseynov, and our Green Patrol also monitors Programme, prepared by journalists the large Nizami Park in Baku, where we prevent pollution and do not and photographers on the ground allow other kids to break and harm trees. We try to explain to them that or the ENPI Info Centre. 2011 ENPI Info Centre / EU this damages not only nature, but the lives of people themselves.

ENPI Info Centre Feature no. 51

Young Green Patrols in action: By protecting trees we protect our future

p. 2

Building on an old tradition: school-based forest units

Azer Garayev, National Consultant of ENPI-FLEG in Azerbaijan says that the programmes major objective is to inform the public about the need to prevent deforestation and the importance to expand the green topsoil. But we were aware that this task cannot be fulfilled without some environmental education. That is why the Azerbaijani component of the programme came up with the idea of creating teams of young foresters in schools, says Garayev. This idea existed in Azerbaijan before, and now our purpose is to restore those traditions, modernize them for the contemporary environment. The Republican Centre of Environmental Education is in fact the only place in the country where systematic work promoting childrens engagement in the protection of the environment has been organized. ENPI-FLEGs education consultant in Azerbaijan, Lala Dadasheva, says the Centre works with teachers to increase their knowledge on the need to prevent deforestation. The teachers in turn work with their students, organizing study-tours and tree-planting actions. The centre has 54 branches throughout the country. Local NGOs and media are also very interested in the forest protection activities, says Dadasheva: The forest is not only a source of fuel or raw materials for industries: it is also a source of the richest biological variety. Pilot initiatives to create school-based forest units will be implemented under the Programme in three Azerbaijani provinces in the South, North and Western regions. If we are able to include at least 20% of the pupils in the young foresters teams, it will be success, Garayev says. The teams will include mostly children from provinces who live close to forests. But children from cities should not be left behind. There is an idea, he continues, to establish summer camps in forest areas where both kids from cities and local children would live together. They could do plenty of useful work regarding protection of forests, monitoring of climate changes, etc. Such camps could also be international, to attract children from other countries.

N Azer Garayev

The future is in our hands. The environment we will be living in depends very much on how we will protect plants and forests, how we will prevent deforestation

The forest is not only a source of fuel or raw materials for industries: it is also a source of the richest biological variety

N Azad Aliyev

Deforestation doesnt lead to a better life

The ENPI-FLEG Programme, which has been implemented in Azerbaijan since mid2010, covers a wide spectrum of issues. One of its components is research on the economic and social impact of illegal deforestation and unsustainable use of forests resources on the life of local residents. The Programmes scientific consultant on social and economic analysis, Azad Aliyev, says that the Ismailly region, 160km west from Baku, was selected for the research. An opinion poll was conducted among the people of the area to study the influence of deforestation. The results showed that the average people in this region are poorer than in the rest of the country, Aliyev says, adding that the picture is typical of other forest regions of Azerbaijan too. Local residents mostly use forest to get fuel. Although this practice declined significantly in recent years due to a law banning deforestation and to awareness campaigns, people still cut forests illegally, Azad Aliyev says. Meanwhile, not only does deforestation not lead to a better life for local residents, but it also has serious environmental consequences, even influencing peoples health. Deforestation creates a large oxygen deficit, continues Aliyev, and it causes diseases among local residents. During the last two centuries the amount of land covered by forests has decreased almost three times, and currently it represents only 11.8% of the countrys land. This trend could continue if serious measures to save forest resources are not applied.

N Sahavat Huseynov

ENPI Info Centre Feature no. 51

Young Green Patrols in action: By protecting trees we protect our future

p. 3

A lot has been done, more is to come

Azer Garayev from FLEG believes that among the reasons behind the unsustainable use of forests since the mid-1990s, is the rise in unemployment and poverty levels, the lack of access to energy resources and the sudden development of livestock farming. This last element negatively aects forests development, says Garayev, because uncontrolled pasture of animals results in cattle eating the sprigs. Rahim Ibrahimov, head of section of the forests development department of Azerbaijans Ministry of ecology and natural resources, believes that the ENPI-FLEG programme meets the governments strategy on the prevention of deforestation and increase in forest land from the current 11.8% to 25-30%. Azerbaijan has done a lot of work in this sector: between 2003 and 2008, a large number of trees were planted, resulting in more than 71,634 hectares of forests. But more is still to be done, so the ENPI-FLEG programme is very important for us, to inform, to increase the populations environmental knowledge and to explain the practical advantages of forest areas.

N Illegal deforestation is a serious problem in Azerbaijan.

During the last two centuries the amount of land covered by forests has decreased almost three times, and currently it represents only 11.8% of the countrys land. This trend could continue if serious measures to save forest resources are not applied

Forest Law Enforcement and Governance (FLEG)

Supports governments of participating countries, civil society and the private sector in the development of sound and sustainable forest management practices, including the prevention of illegal forestry activities

www.enpi-fleg.org
Participating countries Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Russia, Ukrainen Timeframe 2008-2011 Budget 6 million Objective The project aims to tackle the growing problem of illegal forest activities in the Partner Countries by promoting legal and sustainable forest management and utilisation practices and seeks to strengthen the rule of law and to enhance local livelihoods. The European Commission grant has been provided to the World Bank through a multi-donor trust fund. The projects implementing partners are the World Bank, the IUCN (World Conservation Union) and the WWF (World Wildlife Fund), ensuring that the public and private sectors as well as civil society are consistently included in the projects activities. Find out more ENPI Info Centre Project fiche www.enpi-info.eu/maineast.php?id=205&id_type=10 ENPI Info Centre news: FLEG Teachers support pack www.enpi-info.eu/maineast.php?id=24074&id_type=1&lang_id=450 ENPI Info Centre, Environnemental Portal www.enpi-info.eu/themeeast.php?subject=6

ENPI info centre

www.enpi-info.eu

The ENPI Info Centre is an EU-funded Regional Information and Communication project highlighting the partnership between the EU and Neighbouring countries. The project is managed by Action Global Communications.