For more than five years, Azerbaijan has been implementing one of the most large-scale and complex restoration and reconstruction programs in the history of the region.
Modern.az reports that Anar Guliyev, national coordinator of the Thirteenth Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) and chairman of the State Committee for Urban Planning and Architecture, stated this at a special session on “Cities at the Center of Connection: Reconstruction of Cities and Regional Cooperation” within the 13th Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) held in Baku.
He noted that this process aims to transform the once devastated territories into sustainable, inclusive, and future-oriented urban and rural communities.
“For approximately 30 years, nearly 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territories remained under occupation. During this period, hundreds of cities, towns, and villages were destroyed, critical infrastructure was rendered unusable, cultural heritage sites suffered severe damage, and more than one million Azerbaijanis were displaced from their homes.”
A. Guliyev reminded that after the liberation of the territories in 2020, Azerbaijan entered a phase of restoration, reintegration, and sustainable regional development:
“The scale of destruction in the liberated territories was unprecedented. More than 900 settlements were damaged, and the entire urban system ceased to function. The city of Aghdam is one of the most visible examples of this destruction.”
He also emphasized that since such a large-scale restoration process requires strong institutional coordination and strategic management, a Coordination Headquarters was established under the leadership of the Head of the Presidential Administration:
“This mechanism brings together all relevant state bodies, ensuring coordinated implementation, monitoring of projects, and operational cooperation in the field.”
The national coordinator also noted that ensuring security in the liberated territories is the most urgent priority:
“These territories are among the most mine and unexploded ordnance contaminated regions in the world. More than 900,000 hectares of land are contaminated with mines and unexploded ordnance, and approximately 1.5 million mines are estimated to be buried.”
The committee chairman added that, in parallel with the restoration work, a new management model has been implemented in the liberated territories:
“The appointment of special representatives of the President has strengthened local coordination and enabled more operational implementation of strategic priorities on the ground.
In addition, the “First State Program on the Great Return” constitutes the main strategic framework for the reconstruction and resettlement process in the liberated territories. The program, approved in 2022, envisages the reconstruction of cities and villages, restoration of infrastructure, creation of employment opportunities, and establishment of sustainable living conditions for returning communities.”
