Technogenic wastes and ecological problems
The northeastern part of the Lesser Caucasus encompasses the western part of the Republic of Azerbaijan and is characterized with a prevalence of unique flora and fauna and the availability of rich natural resources, particularly metals. It is known that the long-term exploitation of these resources by surface mining has led to technogenic contamination in the area. Exploitation of ore deposits is associated with the origination of huge hills of waste which cause heavy degradation of pastures, forests, and croplands. A significant part of widely degraded areas in the northeastern Lesser Caucasus is found in the territory of the Gedabek administrative district. This paper deals with the problem of restoration for contaminated lands formed due to raw material extraction on territory of valuable mountain forests and meadows over a long historical period as well as the use of collected technogenic wastes for different purposes (e.g. in land reclamation, construction of motorways etc.).