Today's Zaman

Wednesday, 26 October 2011

One of the most pressing issues facing the world today is climate change and its environmental impact. The earth is warming up, and now not only is there overwhelming scientific consensus that is this happening, but that it is caused by human activity. Without a doubt, climate change may be one of the greatest threats to our planet. Statistics in recent years show increasing temperatures across various regions and/or increasing extremities in weather patterns.

The South Caucasus, and Azerbaijan in particular, boasts nine of the world's 11 climate zones. Azerbaijan and the region face serious environmental challenges, from endangered species and industrial pollution to basic issues of water supply and safety. The effects of a government-led environmental investment program are beginning to be seen in Azerbaijan, with industrial clean-up, a strong National Parks project, mass reforestation and the first forays into renewable energy.

In this context, a very timely idea has emerged from Azerbaijan. Leyla Aliyeva, vice president of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and spokesperson for its environmental program, in July of this year launched an international campaign called International Dialogue for Environmental Action (IDEA). The vision of the campaign is: “Releasing the power of youth to create greater harmony with our global environment.” The IDEA campaign (www.ideacampaign.org) entails a number of actions aimed at raising awareness of environmental issues and the need to protect the environment among young people and the international community.

IDEA is based on the principles of dialogue, action, leadership and education -- all essential ingredients for equipping a generation to make possible positive and sustainable environmental change. Aliyeva has also officially launched the campaign's first photo contest, which is dedicated to nature and the environment in Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan continues to implement numerous projects -- including the development of alternative energy and renewable energy sources -- that are designed to improve the ecological situation in Azerbaijan and across the South Caucasus.

The IDEA campaign has announced that November 2011 will be “a month of ecology” in Azerbaijan, under the slogan “Let's Protect Our Environment.” On Nov. 24-27, 2011, Gabala, Azerbaijan, will host the first regional Camp of Young Environmentalists, to be organized by IDEA in collaboration with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) office in Baku and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

The creator of this crucial environmental movement, Aliyeva stresses the importance of environmental action in her piece in the Huffington Pos. She writes: “I have seen in my own country the damage that can be done by unchecked industrial development. We have learnt from the past -- we inherited a toxic legacy from the Soviet era. Azerbaijan is rich in natural resources, including oil and gas, and now as a strategic partner, we are an important source of energy for the rest of Europe. This doesn't mean we stop thinking about the future or finding ways to secure sustainable development, which is why we are investing in renewable energy sources.”

This is not the first important initiative by Aliyeva, who as the Islamic Conference Youth Forum for Dialogue and Cooperation (ICYF-DC) coordinator for intercultural dialogue is responsible for the promotion of programs that help to establish friendly relations between youths from Muslim countries and their global counterparts, especially in Western countries

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