Climate change is seriously affecting water and food resources, and depletion of water resources is leading to a number of diseases, COP29 President Designate, Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan Mukhtar Babayev said during the second day of the Baku Climate Action Week (BCAW 2024), AzVision.az reports.
The minister noted that the effects of climate change on agriculture are already apparent.
"Agriculture makes up a significant portion of Azerbaijan's economy. The low levels of rainfall in recent years have led to a 10 percent reduction in food production. The water level in the Caspian Sea has also dropped, which is seriously affecting the coastal zone. Failure to take action will exacerbate these consequences. Global warming may have already resulted in the displacement of two million individuals. Further research and innovative systems are required," he added.
To note, Baku is hosting the Action Week (BCAW 2024) for the first time from September 30 to October 4, 2024.
The event forms the basis of the climate agenda ahead of COP29 in Baku in November. It brings together key stakeholders from a range of fields such as politics, finance, trade, investment, science, arts, culture, civil society, and media.
The main themes of the event are “energy transition," “cities and urbanized environments," “water security," “food and agriculture," "SMEs,” and “green skills.”
The first half of the week (from September 30 through October 2) will focus on climate solutions involving government agencies, academia, and the private sector. The second half (October 3-4) will focus on science, education, arts, culture, and other sectors.
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