Would it be possible to know the flattening of forests if
there was no public awareness of Ecofront? Unfortunately, it is not the
first time a similar alarming process happening in Azerbaijan and it is not the first
time the public is left aside and it is not the first time Ecofront highlighting the
case and updating the public. In 2019 first time Beeco together with Ecofront,
traveled to Shaki district’s bulldozed forests and since then, unfortunately, not
so much has been changed. This time, Lankaran’s Haftoni plain forests are
facing the threat of demolishing.
Why this is happening? “This” means here deforestation and
public non-awareness?
As we know cooperations are one of the driving figures of depletion
of natural resources. Their sustainable strategies deplete resources, creates inequality
which is called resource curse. In this theory this process is closely linked
to the existing political system and resources. More info on resource curse can be obtained
from https://resourcegovernance.org/sites/default/files/nrgi_Resource-Curse.pdf
However, there are resource-rich countries that overcome the resource curse, which Norway’s case can be an example of. Previously, we have
talked about the negative impact of deforestation to the environment (link
here). The negative outcomes might include drying up rivers, underground
waters, loss of biodiversity and life. Deforestation has social, environmental, and economic implications. https://beecoblogger.blogspot.com/2020/06/drying-up-rivers-kur.html
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Half of the Haftoni Plain Forests has been demolished
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Azerbaijan is one of the water-scarce countries in which it
faces water scarcity and going forward this might get worse if necessary
measures won’t be taken.
If we do a bit of background research we will see that
similar cases are happening around the world and a major outcome of these similar
processes- flattening forests is - these are areas become uninhabitable.
Haftoni plain forests, close to Hirkan National Park are one
of the three survived plain forests in the region. Haftoni forests have a rich
biodiversity. Unfortunately, these plain forests are threatened with
demolishing due to tea plantation plans. Considering global climate change
challenges the world faces and also Azerbaijan’s water scarcity problems chopping forests are not feasible for a long term period. The environmental cost of
these tea plantations is and would be high, as such unsustainable application
of pesticides and fertilizers, intensive water usage will cause environmental
pollution.
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| Untouched Haftoni shrubs and trees |
A local person from the Haftoni
village says “It has been one month since the bulldozing has been started.
The forestry is used to be a recreational and useful area for the locals, like,
collecting forest berries for the winter stock, traveling and relaxation area.”
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| Iron tree wood |
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| Cleared areas |
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| Cleared areas |
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| Chopped tree |
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| Chopped tree in Haftoni forests |
The local business has cleared out around 5-10 hectares area
and the process is still ongoing with the current pause due to media portrayal.
The worst fear is that when the mass clearing starts with the cooperative greed
on the top it becomes difficult to stop it.
What is unique about Hirkan Forests? According to the
researchers, Hirkan forests survived the ice age periods, which is extremely
rare. This lush subtropical forest hosts more than 150 tree and shrub species,
and also rich with animals, insects. The forest’s unique physical features
allowed it to be selected for the UNESCO World Heritage nomination.
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| Depth of Hirkan National Park |
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| Sun illuminated forest tree in Hirkan Forests |
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| Depth of Hirkan National Park |
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| Sunset in Hirkan National Park |
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