Azerbaijan meets the challenges of climate change - new solutions for roads and bridges

Recent months have become a vivid illustration of warnings about climate change. The process, which we perceived only in theory, literally fell on our heads at the end of May in a large hail, which even the old-timers in Baku do not remember.

Climate change, which has been talked about for years, is particularly serious in the regions. Over the past two or three months, the disaster has hit the Balaken-Zagatala zone, the Kusar, Siyazan, and Shaki districts. A mudslide occurred in the mountainous village of Laza in Kusar, causing a large landslide. In Zagatala, mudslides caused damage to communications and infrastructure, damaged a bridge and a railway, which is why the section of the highway beyond Gakh is closed to traffic until August 1. In Siyazan, water flows destroyed a bridge, cutting off communication with one of the villages. The villages and Shaki residents had a lot of unpleasant moments.

The elements are not only hitting Azerbaijan. The other day, social media users were horrified by footage from the Georgian city of Telavi. Heavy rains led to the overflowing of the local river and large-scale flooding in the city. Streets were flooded, residential buildings were damaged, gas, light and water were turned off in some places. In rural areas, mudflows have destroyed many hectares of fields and vineyards.

July turned out to be problematic for many regions of Turkey, where floods and mudslides were reported. In some cases, the situation has become so difficult. which required the evacuation of people. The streets of Astana turned into stormy streams a couple of days ago. Footage of cars flooded almost to the roof went around all the media. The disaster led not only to flooding of streets, but also to power outages in several areas of the city. Mudslides have become a real disaster for the Stavropol Territory of Russia this summer.

But let's return to Azerbaijan. After the successful and fruitful COP29 climate conference in Baku, the country continues to maintain an international dialogue on combating climate change. Thus, on July 22-23, in Shamakhi, in cooperation with Turkey and Australia, which are chairing COP31, the 3rd informal Shamakhi meeting was held with the participation of the chairmen of the negotiating groups of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the heads of delegations of a number of UNFCCC member states. The event was attended by more than 70 representatives from 34 countries.

Discussions on the draft law on Climate have also begun in Azerbaijan. The first meeting of the relevant working group was recently held. During the discussions, mitigation and adaptation mechanisms were considered.

It should be noted that mitigation is a set of measures aimed at reducing the likelihood of negative events or reducing the severity of their consequences. If humanity is already too late to prevent climate change, it is within its power to learn how to live in new conditions and get out of difficult situations correctly. The issues of mitigation and adaptation are very relevant for Azerbaijan today, especially in the light of the natural disasters that have befallen the country's regions. It is impossible to stop the climatic processes. This is a global and expensive process. But adapting to changes and developing mechanisms to reduce their negative consequences are real goals.

The topic of transport connectivity and mobility is important for Azerbaijan not only in the context of international projects. The recent natural disasters in Zagatala, Balaken and Gakh, which left a large region without rail traffic, reminded us that climate change requires us to take a more in-depth approach to the risks to transport connectivity within the country itself.

"Climate change will become more and more pronounced. In the last five years, we have already been actively observing this process in terms of precipitation. Previously, such precipitation was observed once every few years, now it is almost monthly. Almost everywhere, rains turn into downpours and mudslides, leading to floods and landslides. Rivers overflow their banks, washing away bridges, roads, and railroad tracks. This is a consequence of climate change, and it is no longer possible to attribute it only to bad weather.

Since the problems have become systematic, they should be considered not as the vagaries of the weather, but as a process that we will have to live with. It is necessary to systematize the facts, determine their frequency, and identify the regions most affected by precipitation. There are places with a constant mudflow threat, and there are those where rivers remain in their beds even with the heaviest rainfall. In any case, when building roads, bridges, buildings and other infrastructure, we will now have to take into account the climate change factor.

Based on the events of recent months, it is already possible to determine the dynamics and correct the situation promptly. According to world practice, when bridges are demolished or damaged as a result of natural disasters (as happened, for example, in Zagatala), temporary bridges are used so that logistics and people's mobility do not stop. In Azerbaijan, it would also be possible to apply this practice both in Absheron and in the regions.  

Collapsible temporary bridges are modular structures that are quickly assembled from standard elements for temporary or permanent use. They are used, including after natural disasters and destruction. There are several types of such bridges. For example, the Mabey Compact 200 is a modern modular system with a higher load capacity, or the American Acrow Bridge system used in more than 150 countries. Or the Bailey Bridge, developed in Great Britain during the Second World War. It is assembled without heavy machinery from steel panels.

Climate change is forcing us to reconsider the issue of special equipment. Whether its quantity is sufficient, whether it corresponds to the prevailing conditions and goals of operational problem solving. A natural disaster can strike several regions at once, depriving thousands of people of communication. Temporary bridges would be useful here. It is worth studying the international experience in this field. Such bridges are assembled in a couple of days, after which traffic is restored and life does not stop. Building a new stationary bridge is a matter of many months, during which people find themselves in a difficult situation, forced to lock themselves into their living spaces.

The data that was previously used as the basis for infrastructure construction is no longer relevant. Previously, disasters like the one that happened in Zagatala were viewed as a cyclical process, but climate change has reshaped this cycle. Climatic trends should also be taken into account when implementing projects in the field of water supply and sanitation. Climate change must now be taken into account in any construction work. Regardless of whether it is an area, linear or tower construction.

Two years ago, when the Pirsaatchai River overflowed its banks in Hajigabul and damaged the railway track, our specialists reacted very quickly and restored the railway. The situation in Zagatala turned out to be more complicated, and although all necessary measures are being taken, we should think about future problems. Maps of groundwater and landslide risk areas need to be updated. The days when it was possible to say that "there hasn't been a landslide here for two hundred years" are over. Climate change has broken all the patterns, everything that our calculations were based on.

In addition to the prompt elimination of consequences, the current situation also requires notification measures. According to the same world practice, before the disaster breaks out, the Ministry of Emergency Situations notifies via SMS about which rivers have raised the water level, and recommends that residents of the coast take safety measures or leave the danger zone. An open date is open information about threats so that residents and investors can determine and insure their own risks. Citizens should be able to take care of risk reduction and their property themselves, without relying solely on the state. And for that, we need information."