In 2020, he was awarded the 3rd class Order of "Labor" for his services in the field of environmental protection. The map contains critical information exposing the negative environmental impacts of Armenia's mining industry. It clearly shows that Armenia has deliberately concentrated the most environmentally damaging mining enterprises mainly in the Western Zangezur region, bordering the Republic of Azerbaijan and close to transboundary rivers. Mining of mineral deposits is also preferred in the border areas with Georgia.
Speaking at the presentation ceremony, Mugabil Bayramov, Chairman of the "Azerbaijan Cartographers" Public Union, highlighted Armenia's geographic location in the upper basin of the Kura and Araz rivers, which flow through Azerbaijan. He noted, "Pambak (Debed) and Abaranchay are tributaries of the Kura and Araz rivers in the upper and middle reaches. Armenia's mining industry operations in the Zangichay, Vedicay, Arpachay, Migrichay, Okchuchay, and Bazarchay basins are affecting Azerbaijan's ecology. Under the Espoo Convention, Armenia is obligated to obtain a permit from Azerbaijan for mining activities in transboundary areas."
Sabit Bagirov, co-founder of the "Environmental Protection First" (EPF) Coalition and chairman of the Entrepreneurship and Market Economy Development Assistance Fund, criticized the Armenian government and foreign mining companies for not submitting Environmental Impact Assessment documents. He said, "Despite repeated calls, these documents are hidden. We demand they be disclosed to the public. The map 'Mineral Raw Materials Resources of the Republic of Armenia' clearly shows the global scale of the problem."
Talat Kangarli, head of the Department of Dynamic Geology at the Institute of Geology and Geophysics, praised the cartographic work created by the "Azerbaijan Cartographers" Public Union, stating, "The map is a monument characterized by its wealth of material and serves as an important database."
Shahbeddin Musayev, advisor on geological issues to the Chairman of the Board of Directors of "AzerGold" CJSC, discussed the harmful chemicals from Armenian mining enterprises that flow into the Caspian Sea through the Araz and Kura rivers, exacerbating environmental damage. He said, "The Republic of Armenia can be divided into four large ore-mining regions: Gajaran-Gafan, Mehri-Leyvaz, Zod-Sermuk/Amulsar, and Alaverdi-Aghtala. The annual processing capacity of the Gajaran field is 12.8 million tons of ore, posing a significant environmental threat due to sulfur-containing wastes. In Gafan, the annual processing capacity is 50-65 thousand ounces of gold, with flotation reagents used as chemicals."
Amin Mammadov, Chairman of the Public Council under the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources and co-founder of the EPF Coalition, demanded that the Armenian government open the doors of their mining enterprises for environmental monitoring. He said, "We demand environmental justice for the South Caucasus region. Armenia should immediately stop activities that damage the environment and fulfill its obligations under international conventions."
Nazim Mustafa, a researcher at the Institute of History and Ethnology, praised the inclusion of national toponyms on the maps in all three languages, stating, "Having the map in Armenian will also open the eyes of the Armenian public to how they have been deceived."
The State Support Agency for Non-Governmental Organizations is the donor of the "Azerbaijan Cartographers" Public Union's cartographic work project dedicated to this important topic. It should be recalled that on July 11 last year, during a meeting chaired by President Ilham Aliyev to discuss the socio-economic results of the first six months of 2023, the head of state remarked: "Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur were very close to becoming ecological disaster zones. Armenia has dealt a great blow to our nature due to the activities of enterprises in Armenia, as well as the brutal exploitation of our natural resources in the occupied lands of Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur. Now the cross-border threats must be taken into account. Azerbaijan's position here is still based on international experience and international conventions, including the Espoo Convention, which can be accessed online. This convention stipulates that the pollution of transboundary rivers and the establishment of enterprises near borders that can be sources of ecological danger must be agreed upon with neighboring countries, and we demand this from Armenia. Today, the Azerbaijani public and non-governmental organizations have already appealed to the official authorities of Armenia on this issue, and international experts and representatives of non-governmental organizations working in ecology have joined this appeal. Therefore, I believe the Government of Azerbaijan should be involved."
At the meeting, the head of state praised the activities of Azerbaijani civil society in this direction and called on Armenia to stop this dangerous practice: "If they want to create some enterprise, we certainly cannot have an attitude towards it. It is their internal business. But if this enterprise is located 500 meters from our border, if dangerous substances will be used there, and if these substances will still be spilled into the Araz River and Okchuchay, this is our issue. How can we allow this? Of course, we must address these issues within the framework of the law, international conventions, and diplomacy."
The NGOs gathered at the Baku Business Center emphasized the importance of carrying out environmental monitoring in Armenia's mining industry enterprises. The "Environmental Protection First" Coalition has stated that civil society organizations in Armenia and other foreign countries, along with international institutions, are ready to conduct environmental monitoring in Armenia's mining enterprises.
