Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources (Azerbaijan)

The Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan Republic () is a governmental agency within the Cabinet of Azerbaijan in charge of regulation of the activities in the country relating to ecology, environmental protection and use of natural resources of Azerbaijan.
History.
The Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan was established on May 23, 2001 as per the Presidential Decree of President Heydar Aliyev No. 485 in accordance with structural reforms within the Azerbaijani government. The current activities of the ministry were being implemented, at times duplicated by several governmental agencies such as "State Observation Committee for Ecology and Use of Natural Resources", "Azermeshe" union (responsible for forestry, "State Committee of Geology and Mineral Resources", "Azerbaliq State Concern" (in charge of fishing industry), "State Hydrometeorology Committee" and their regulations were decentralized. The decree abolished all these agencies and centralized the governmental regulations and activities by replacing them with the new ministry.
According to a Decree №548, signed by President Heydar Aliyev on September 18, 2001, a "statute" linked with Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources was approved.
Each year, on May 23, the staff of the Ministry celebrates their professional holiday. This day was declared as a non-working day for the staff due to a Decree which was signed by Ilham Aliyev and dates back to May 16, 2007.
Organization.
The ministry is headed by the minister with two deputy ministers. Main functions of the ministry are enhancing the knowledge base on natural resources, know-how, use and protection of resources, ensuring environmental protection, preservation of biological diversity of the resources, regulation of activities in using the biological resources in internal waters and Azerbaijani section of the Caspian Sea, their protection and preservation; enhancing the knowledge base on geology of the country, protection of mineral resources; preparation of regulations on usage, area enlargement, creation, protection of forests; ensuring environmental protection in populated places and so forth. The ministry also disseminates information on the environmental situation in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, such as destruction of forestry in Fizuli Rayon of Azerbaijan.
In 2017, the majority of money from the state budget was spent on the development and expansion of forests. As it was planned, the Ministry spent approximately 13 billion AZN in this ecological sector. Currently, there are nearly 1,5 billion hectares of forests in Azerbaijan. Mostly, attention is paid to such regions as Barda, Beylagan, Yevlah, Zardab, Lankaran, Shemakha and Baku.
The ministry also strives to reduce the number of trees cut down.
State programs.
An evolvement of economy, an improvement of ecological conditions, an environmental protection, as well, as environmental problems’ solution, and finally, a custody of national resources are truly considered as main tasks of the Ministry of Ecology and National Resources. The Ministry included all these tasks in several state programs: