“GEGHARD”
SCIENTIFIC ANALYTICAL
FOUNDATION
2025
2025
2025-07-08
The rational and responsible use of water resources is one of the top priorities on the global environmental agenda, driven by the worsening environmental crisis. The issue is especially acute in countries where mining and oil extraction are well-developed.
In Azerbaijan, where the oil industry is a key sector of the economy, environmental situation is deteriorating. Particularly alarming and critical is the growing rate of pollution in freshwater sources, rivers and lakes. This phenomenon poses a serious threat not only to the country’s internal ecosystem but also to the environmental stability of the region.
The sanitary condition of lakes and rivers in Azerbaijan is deplorable. The responsible authorities take no action to ensure sanitary conditions in water basins. Due to their inaction and negligence, large amounts of household and construction waste are dumped into lakes and rivers.
A serious environmental issue has arisen around the lake in the village of Muhammadi in Azerbaijan. The area around Lake Bulbula is unsanitary, and Lake Masazir is on the verge of extinction.
Recently, a mass fish die-off was recorded in the lake of Muhammadi village in the Absheron district, which has turned into a dumping site. Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources stated that the issue does not concern them, as the incident occurred in a private facility. According to Anvar Aliyev, head of a department at the Institute of Geography of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences, the reason for the fish die-off might be violations of hygiene rules in the lake.
The “Mazutlu” Lake in the Sabunchu district is also in an unsanitary state. Oil was previously extracted in this area. Today, it has become a landfill for local residents. Sewage is also discharged into the lake. Environmentalist Islam Mustafayev has stated that the majority of the 250 lakes in Absheron do not meet sanitary or environmental standards.
The ecological state of the “Zykh” Lake is also disastrous. The lake, which spans nearly 300 hectares, is entirely covered in oil waste and sewage. A decision was made nine years ago to restore the ecosystem. The “Azərsu” company, responsible for water supply, has stated that the restoration project is still under discussion, while sewage continues to flow into the lake to this day.
The area of the Zabrat artificial lake has also turned into a landfill. Located near illegal new constructions, the lake’s surroundings are entirely covered in garbage. Environmentalists have appealed to the district executive authorities about the issue. As justification, the responsible authorities claimed that the garbage had been brought from other areas, mainly during evening hours.
Lake Bulbula in the Sabunchu district and the surrounding areas are also in unsanitary condition. Local residents claim that garbage is dumped here by trucks during the evenings. As a form of protest, the residents blocked access to the lake for trucks filled with waste, but the issue has not been resolved.
Another lake in a miserable condition is located in the Mashtaga settlement of the Sabunchu district. According to local residents, trucks belonging to the local executive authorities regularly dump waste into the lake. “They say they cleaned the area and moved the garbage elsewhere, but in fact, they dumped the waste into the river,” says one resident who published a video from the scene.
The Masazir Lake, located 21 kilometers away from Baku, is on the brink of extinction. Local residents report that trucks regularly dump soil and garbage into the lake. The relevant authorities justify the artificial drying of the lake by claiming that salt is being extracted from it. It should be noted that, alongside the drying of the lake, the number of illegal constructions in the area has significantly increased. Thus, we can conclude that the lake is being artificially dried out for construction purposes.
Residents concerned about environmental issues are demanding immediate action to clean the Ganjachay River. One resident posted a video on social media clearly showing the deplorable condition of the riverbank and the household waste dumped into the river.
“I will make this public, and you’ll see that I will raise this issue at the national level. So much trash in the river... it’s a fact—I recorded the person dumping it,” said one local resident, addressing a resort employee who was throwing waste into the Lankarançay River flowing through the Lankaran district. The video shows the unsanitary condition of the river in Azerbaijan’s southern districts and the accumulation of household waste.
The unsanitary condition of water basins does not seem to concern even the “International Dialogue for Environmental Action” public union (IDEA), headed by Leyla Aliyeva, daughter of Azerbaijan’s president Ilham Aliyev.
In conclusion, it can be said that problems in various regions of Azerbaijan continue to pose a serious threat to the environment. Despite the severity of the problem, the responsible authorities, including local governments, either remain inactive or directly contribute to the pollution for personal business interests.