National Initiative Group of Azerbaijan
NIGs’ (Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia) goal is to promote scientifically justified policy and decision making in the fields of Climate Change Adaptation (CCA), Disaster Risk Management (DRM) and Overall Sustainable Mountain Development (SMD) throughout the Caucasus with the active involvement of academic, civil and private organizations. Main activities are: Identification of priority issues including needs and challenges; Coordination and information exchange between member organizations; Advocacy to ensure science-based decision making. Moreover, Regional Initiative Group (RIG) represented by all the national NIGs, i.e. Co-chairs of NIGs, is focused on tackling the problems at the regional level.
National Initiative Group of Azerbaijan (NIG Azerbaijan) is an alliance comprised of scientific, civil and private organizations interested and working among others in the fields of Disaster Risk Management (DRM), Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) and Sustainable Mountain Development (SMD).
NIG Azerbaijan was established in terms of the project Strengthening the Climate Adaptation Capacities in the South Caucasus (SCAC) implemented by the Caucasus Network for Sustainable Development of Mountain Regions (Sustainable Caucasus). Currently, NIG Azerbaijan unites more than 18 representatives from various academic, non-governmental and/or private organizations and individual members.
NIG Azerbaijan is responsible for advocacy of the science-policy interface strengthening and C-RRA promotion and selected by the first meeting of NIG Azerbaijan topic for the next years’ work is the spatial planning concept sophistication and integrated balanced regional development in Azerbaijan. NIG Azerbaijan elected first co-chairs for the following two years: Ramiz Mammadov (academic from Institute of Geography, Azerbaijan National Academy of Science) and Shamil Huseynov (practitioner and public consultant).
NIG Azerbaijan members are as follows: Institute of Geography and Institute of Catalyze of the Academy of Science of Azerbaijan Republic, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), the Azerbaijan State Oil and Industry University (ASOIU), Khazar University, Civil Society representatives: National association of rural municipalities, Animal Protection Public Union, Regional Development Public Union, ELS MAM, Sustainable Development Public Union and Hayajan, and representatives of insurance companies: Ateshgah Insurance, Ravan Insurance. Baku Insurance, Gala Insurance, Pasha Life Insurance, Gala Life Insurance and Ata Insurance
Co-Chairs:
Ramiz Mahmud oglu Mammadov In 1973 began his scientific activity at the Centre of Problems of the Caspian Sea, Institute of Geography Academy of Sciences of the Azerbaijan Republic. In 1996 he wrote his doctor's thesis on the subject of "Changeability of hydro physical areas of the Caspian Sea and their influence on diffusion of pollutants'' and became Doctor of Technical Sciences, in 2001 was elected Corresponding Member of the ANAS on the specialty of "Geography". In 2009 he was awarded academic status «Professor" by the Supreme Attestation Commission of Azerbaijan on the specialty of «Hydrology". In 2014 was elected full member of the ANAS on the specialty of "Geography".
R.Mammadov is a known scientist and authority in the field of researches of the Caspian Sea in Azerbaijan and in the world as well. The transboundary water problems of the Kur-Araz basin, study of desertification process in Azerbaijan, landscape planning and environmental protection are also R.Mammadov’s basic research directions.
In 2005 R.Mammadov wrote a monograph jointly with Russian scientists called "Modern situation of the Caspian Sea" ordered by the publishing house "Nauka", Moscow. İn 2012 year R. Mammadov publishes prepared by him "the Hydrometeorological Atlas of the Caspian Sea”, and in 2014 the book devoted to this subject: Hydrometeorology of the Caspian Sea. Book "Landscape planning: sense and practical application", new for the Azerbaijani geography he published in 2016.
Under edition and participation Mammadov the tribology is written and published: Geography of Azerbaijan. For it merits he was awarded the State Award of Azerbaijan in the field of science in 2016.
R.Mammadov' s scientific works were published in the famous scientific journals and publishing houses ("Spinger", "Nauka", "Academic Guliavert", etc.) of the world. He is the author of 349 articles, 12 books, and 1 atlas. His about 30 works were included into the major results of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences.
He is an owner of grants of the international funds as: Civil Researches and Development Fund (USA), Copernicus (EU), INTAS, Frame Program 6 and 7 EU, Science for the Peace (NATO).
Side by side with scientific works R.Mammadov is actively occupied with scientific-organizational and personnel training problems too. Under his supervisors 15 Ph.D. and 4 scientific doctoral dissertations are written. He is chief of journal “Geography and Naturally recourse” and deputy editor-in-chief of the journal "Proceedings" of the Earth Science Section, ANAS.
Since 2002 he is chairman of the Doctorate Dissertation Council of the Institute of Geography. He is President of the Azerbaijan Geographical Society. Period 2000-2009 was President of the Consultative Council of International Ecological Centre’s for Caucasus founded for the countries of South Caucasus by the European Union.
Shamil Huseynov entered the Azerbaijan Technical University in1968 and received the construction engineer educational background in 1973, later in 1983-1986 he graduated the Academy of Public Administration, Azerbaijan as political scientist.
Among Shamil Huseynov’s experience in public sector is the Head of Executive Authority of Neftchala district in 1989 – 1992, Member of the Parliament in 1990 – 1995, the chief consultant, the Head of Natural resources, energy and environmental sector, the chief advisor of Natural resources, energy and environmental Committee of the Parliament.
Shamil Huseynov is recognized expert in both international donors project and governmental services. As expert he participated in different projects, in particularly in 2009-2012 as legal adviser of EU Waste Governance project. His contribution was analyzing environmental legislation related to waste management in Azerbaijan and conducted legal needs assessment to develop Waste Management Strategy for Lankaran Pilot region. In 2010-2014 as Legal and institutional advisor he made contribution to WB Greater Baku Master Plan development project. He provided environmental legislation analysis related to development of different sectors, including utilities(electric and gas supply, waste management, water and sanitation and etc. ) in Greater Baku region and conducted legal needs assessment to develop regional development plan for Greater Baku.
In 2010-2017 Shamil Huseynov have took some managerial and expert positions in international projects, in particularly, in ENPI FLEG (I – II Program), Head of National Advisory Committee, in PPRD East 2, Member of the National Advisory Group for Azerbaijan, The reducing Transboundary degradation in Kura Aras river basin, the Expert on legal and institutional affairs, in 2013 – 2016 the Head of Project Steering Committee and the Team leader of the project group on legal and institutional affairs of UNDP – GEF.