Tarana Akbari

ARMENIA'S ECOLOGICAL TERRORISM AGAINST AZERBAIJAN

Abstract. Since 1988, 20% of Azerbaijan's lands have been occupied as a result of the war waged by Armenia to pursue its territorial claims against Azerbaijan. After a long occupation, during the 44-day Patri­otic War and 24-hour local anti-terrorist operations, our lands, which had been in the hands of the enemy for almost 30 years, were liberated by our brave Army. However, in the territories we liberated from occupation, the enemy left behind ruins and an environmental disaster. For almost 30 years, Armenia deliberately tried to destroy our nature, carried out environmental terrorism against Azerbaijan, spontaneously exploited natural resources, including our occupied territories, polluted drinking water reservoirs with industrial waste, and disrupted the ecological balance of the environment. During the occupation, the enemy committed the great­est acts of vandalism on our lands; the occupying forces destroyed forests, national parks, nature reserves, valuable trees and other rare examples of biodiversity.

The rivers that are the source of Azerbaijan's drinking water are contaminated with chemical, biologi­cal and other radioactive waste flowing from the territory of Armenia. Over the past years, contamination of water sources flowing from the occupied territories has led to the death of valuable fish species and the de­pletion of fish stocks. 7 ecologically important relic lakes and 10 reservoirs in the liberated territories of Azerbaijan were subject to serious anthropogenic impact from the occupying Armenia.

Keywords: environmental terrorism, Armenian vandals, liberated territories, Red Book of the Repub­lic of Azerbaijan, biodiversity, Armenia, environment.