The “Biodiversity conservation: challenges and opportunities, today and in the future” seminar was held at Western University on October 22, 2004. The main speaker at the seminar was professor of Indiana University Vicky Meretsky. The participants also included directors of Institutes of National Academy of Sciences, officials of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resourses, heads of NGO-s etc.


“Internationally countries agree that biodiversity conservation relies primarily on systems of protected areas of various kinds. Azerbaijan’s recent progress in protecting natural areas is truly exceptional. The emphasis on national parks will be particularly useful. However, building national and international awareness will take time and additional investment. In the future, Azerbaijan will face conservation challenges resulting from a growing economy-increased road access to the wildlife and plants of all kinds of natural areas, increases in livestock and agricultural pressures, and increases in air and water pollution. Long-term challenges include building regional networks of protected areas that permit conservation of large, highly mobile animals such as leopards and red deer, and addressing issues of global environmental change. Building Azerbaijan’s human recourses, trough general conservation education in its schools and strong environmental science programs in its universities, will be a great help in meeting the challenges of the future.”