Azerbaijan preparing programs to adapt agriculture to climate risks

Programs are being developed in Azerbaijan to adapt the agricultural sector to climate risks, Azerbaijan's Presidential Representative for Climate Issues Mukhtar Babayev said during his address on the second day of Baku Climate Action Week 2026 (BCAW 2026), Report informs.

According to him, the focus is on measures that can be taken to mitigate the impacts of climate change, adaptation measures and other programs currently being implemented:

"Particular importance is being attached to agriculture, farms and the sector as a whole. We are preparing for COP31 today, and a large delegation from Türkiye has also participated in the events. Agriculture is also one of the key issues to be addressed at COP31 for Türkiye. Today, the impacts and risks arising from climate risks are already directly linked to the development of agriculture. It is impossible to consider agricultural development and climate risks separately. These areas are so closely interconnected and influence each other that their joint assessment and development is now the only viable way forward."

He noted that the Ministry of Agriculture is conducting extensive work on the issue and that relevant programs are being adopted:

"The Ministry of Agriculture is implementing these programs at a high level. We are interested in expanding our partnerships in this area and would like to continue discussing these issues with a broader audience. Climate change does not only affect agriculture; agriculture itself also affects the climate. Processes taking place in the climate are even dependent on processes occurring in agriculture. Therefore, all these are highly complex and closely interconnected areas."