Baku: ‘We had to carry out large-scale environmental work in Baku,’ President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev stated during his speech at the opening ceremony of the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13).
According to Azeri-Press News Agency, President Aliyev emphasized the historical context of Baku as the first city in the world to produce oil in 1846, noting that environmental protection had been largely neglected for nearly 180 years. This neglect resulted in significant pollution, particularly in areas like Baku’s ‘Black City,’ Bibiheybat, and other industrial zones. However, the president highlighted the transformative efforts that have taken place over the past two decades to establish an environmentally clean environment in Baku.
The president pointed out the transformation of the heavily polluted ‘Black City’ into ‘White City,’ a model of urban planning. He also mentioned the development of the Sea Breeze Resort, promoting it as a modern urban planning achievement, especially for visitors who enjoy swimming in cold water. Over the past 20 years, Baku has seen the creation of 100 parks, gardens, and recreational areas, with 19 parks undergoing complete reconstruction. These efforts are part of a broader initiative to integrate environmentally clean cities, efficient public transport, micromobility infrastructure, a metro system, and modern electric buses into a cohesive urban concept for the capital.
President Aliyev further noted that these urban planning developments are not confined to Baku alone but are expanding rapidly across various regions of Azerbaijan.