Azerbaijan takes second position in the Environmental Performance Index composed by Yale and Columbia Universities (US), Trend reports.
The document includes ratings of 132 states with studies of their ecological situation and activities in the past 10 years.
Azerbaijan neutralized about 300,000 tons of waste containing quicksilver, provided the population with water, including 340,000 people in regions, according to the standards of the World Healthcare Organization. Azerbaijan increased forested areas from 11.4% to 11.8% of total territory. Azerbaijan takes first position in prevention of climate change and 67th for its current environmental state. Gas emissions dropped from 70 million tons in 1990 to 48 million tons today.
Azerbaijan has reduced emissions of greenhouse gases to about 500 million tons since joining the Kyoto Protocol.
Azerbaijan takes 45th position in protecting villages and developing biological diversity in the last years. It holds 100th position for biological diversity. Azerbaijan increased protected natural areas from 478,000 hectares in 2003 to 882,000 hectares today, about 10.2% of the country’s territory. Formation of 8 national parks started in 2003, they cover 3.6% of the territory. 100 Persian gazelles were moved to natural parks, other endangered species were protected.
The Environmental Performance Index was assessed according to 22 indicators in 10 spheres.
