As approx. 40% of the country’s population and 70% of the industrial potential of the country is concentrated in the Absheron peninsula, most of the ecological problems in urgent need of solution exist in this area.  
One of the primary problems of the Absheron peninsula is related to the contamination of land. Total area 222 thsnd ha of the contaminated lands in the Absheron peninsula-33.3 thsnd ha, including oil contaminated land area-up to 10 thsnd ha.
The major reasons causing ecological problems is the contamination of lands with oil and layer waters during oil-gas extraction and drilling works, formation of artificial lakes and pons due to failure to control layer waters, and accumulation of wastes in these territories formed during oil refining process.
Another ecological problem is connected with the situation of sewerage systems. In the territory of Baku city approx. 536 mln m3 waste waters were formed in 2008, 144.5 mln m3 of which was discharged into the Sea and internal water basins without being purified. 
Along with the waste waters oil products, suspension substances, sulphate compounds, chloride salts, superficially active substances, fenol and different other heavy metals are also discharged into water basins. 
One of the most urgent ecological problems of Baku city and Absheron peninsula is related to the control of hard substances. The total area of 5 household waste disposal sites-232.5 ha. The total area of illegal waste sites is 448.6 ha. The number is 128. 
The officially registered sites don’t meet ecological norms and standards. So, the site area hasn’t been enclosed and no oversight is in place, the waste isn’t covered by soil upon disposal. Some hazardous industrial wastes are disposed in the sites due to the failure to carry out classification. Relevant authorities initiated some actions aimed at improving the condition of Balakhany waste disposal site in 2009. 
The hazardous substances formed when producing caustic soda and chloride by mercury method were one of the factors creating huge ecological problems in Sumgayit city and Absheron peninsula in general. But this problem has been solved due to the actions taken recently.
 Air contamination is still one of theprimary ecological problems of Baku city. Due to increase in the number of transport means at the expense of old vehicles, increase in the amount of released hazardous substances into the atmosphere caused by burning of wastes at sites contaminates the atmosphere thus causing harm to both the environment and human health. 923 thsnd tons of hazardous subtances were released into the atmosphere of the Republic in 2008 and it may be broken down as follows: 281 thsnd tons-industry and 642 thsnd tons-vehicles. The wastes released into the atmosphere in Baku city is as follows: 451.8 thsnd tons-vehicles, 194.5 thsnd tons-stationary sources.     
There are more than 200 lakes with total area of 3325 ha in the Absheron peninsula. 41.5 mln m3 contaminated water is annually released into those lakes. The impact of such lakes to the environment is seen in degredation and salination of the soil, submergence of additional land areas due to increase in the water level, release of carbohydrates and other hazardous substances into the atmosphere due to evaporation, damage caused to residential places, enterprises, roads, and other communication lines.     
The lakes mostly contamined-Boyuk Shor, Bulbula, Girmizigol, Haji Hasan, and Chukhurdara.
The areas of Absheron peninsula mostly contaminated with oil and oil products are Garadagh, Binagadi, Surakhany, Azizbayov, and Sabail districts.
Still other ecological area of Absheron peninsula is Baku bay. Contamination of the bay having total area of 50 km2 and length of shoreline 20 km is in its turn results in the contamination of the Sea, decrease in biodiversity, and formation of antisanitary condition.
The wastes formed and piled up in the territory of Baku Iodine Plant in Surakhany district is enclosed by a rock fense and relevant authorities take necessary steps to decontamine the waste.
Other territories of Absheron peninsula are considered satisfactory.   

The works accomplished in the area of improving the ecological
situation in Baku and Absheron peninsula

In order to solve the ecological problems of the region in a planned way, “Complex Action Plan for the years 2006 and 2010 aimed at improving the ecological situation in the Republic of Azerbaijan” was approved by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan on September 28th. This action plan has great significance in the improvement of the ecological situation in Baku and Absheron peninsula. r. 
The Complex Actions Plan outlines all the major activities directed to the rehabilitation of the current situation with the environment. So, improvement of the ecological situation of Baku Bay, Bibi Heybat zone, the areas surrounding International Airport named after H. Aliyev, the lakes in the Absheron peninsula, oil contaminated lands, the areas submerged under layer waters and the areas contaminated with industrial wastes, modernization and other issues relating to waste management forming in Baku and Sumgayit cities in accordance with the hard waste management plan.
Relevant authorities take necessary measures aimed at building of sewerage systems to the residential places of Baku city and Absheron peninsula, reconstruction of existing purification facilities, and installing new purification facilities. Completion of reconstruction of Hovsan aeration station in the end of 2009, blocking flow of the sewerage waters into the bay by directing the flow to the aeration station will have positive impact on the gradual cleansing of the Baku Bay. 
In order to improve the ecological situation of the Caspian Sea, module type local waste water purification devices were installed meeting international standards aimed at the solution of the matters proceeding from the Instructive Order by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan “On some actions concerning protection of the Caspian Sea from contamination”. Those facilities consist of the equipments made in Italy, the USA, Germany, Taiwan, Turkey, France and assembled in module in Turkey.    
For this purpose, 7 station with the capacity to purify 2325 m3 waste water daily and generally, 16 stations with the capacity to purify 6140 m3  waste water in the years 2008 and 2009 were commissioned in 2009 and 2008-2009 respectively.
Due to this, waste water ingredients having negative impact on the environment and human health (including also 2.3 million enterovirus bacterias and organic contaminants exceeding the norm by 100 times) were cleaned and discharged into the Sea to the depth up to 250-300 meters.  The resulting monitoring conducted indicates that the level of contamination in the Caspian Sea water has gone down.
As a result of the work of “the ecological protection system of the Caspian Sea” created comprising module type water purification facilities, 80% of the swampy areas and contaminated ponds in 86 km territory of Bilgah, Buzovna, Mardakan, Pirshagi, Nardaran, Novkhany, and Sumgayit shoreline were dried and thus ecologic balance restored. 
The Republic of Azerbaijan is the only country among the littoral Caspian states to carry out complex actions aimed at cleaning the Sea and its aquatorium from contamination. Continuing such actions also in the subsequent years will result in a better situation in the Caspian aquatorium and Absheron peninsula will be excluded from the list of the potential contaminants of the Caspian Sea.
As a result of the necessary actions taken, mercury containing toxic wastes 56422 m3 causing serious damage to the surrounding areas of Sumgayit city were liquidated upon transportation to the Hazardous Waste Disposal Site in the years 2007 to 2009 and 23.5 thsnd m3  in 2009 respectively. This process was fully completed in the middle of the reporting year.

In order to improve the ecological situation in the Absheron peninsula, MENR prepared “Necessary Actions Plan on the improvement of the ecological situation in the Absheron peninsula” and “Necessary Actions Plan on the improvement of the ecological situation in Bibiheybat zone” and is taking necessary steps in the direction of implementing the envisaged activities. 
Pilot projects are underway by the State Oil Company of the Republic of Azerbaijan aimed at decontamination of the oil contaminated lands. Lands were decontaminated and green planting activities carried out in the territories as a result of the recultivation works in the territory of Bibiheybat territory that was an old oil mine contaminated with oil wastes.
To improve the ecological situation around the International Airport named after Heydar Aliyev, feasibility report drafted, some works were given a start in the direction of green planting, rehabilitating the natural landscape, creation of an entertainment park after the relocation of Sadarak and Bina trade centers.
So, during the subbotnik held with the participation of around 600 MENR employees, in the territory of former Bina Trade Center, 5000 trees were planted in the area 5 ha in December 24, 2009.  It is pleasing to know that  I. Aliyev, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan personally took part in that action together with his wife and as a result of this, tree planting also take place in other cities and settlements of our republic every weekends.  
In connection with the implementation of the Instructive Order “On green planting along the protection lines of highways” and “Additional actions in the sphere of green planting in Baku city” and for improving aesthetic view and protection from erosion of protection zones, 90% planting was achieved as a result of constant tending of 172 thsnd tree-bush growth planted in previous years along the Alat-Hajigabul highway in the reporting year. 
Similar results were achieved along the highways connecting to the International Baku Airport named after Heydar Aliyev. Under the complex forestation condition in an area 196 ha along Zygh-Heydar Aliyev Airport highway, 80 % planting was achieved due to necessary tending of the growths planted in the soils contaminated with oil products, iodine, and brome. 
In addition, up to 60 thsnd various trees were planted along the highway from Azizbayov roundabout to Heydar Aliyev Airport in the past period of 2009, lawns set up in an area 50 thsnd m2 and lawn seed sowing work carried out.    
Large-scale works are underway in connection with the initiative by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan on planting 3 million trees in Baku and surrounding areas. Locations were defined for green planting in the territories of Absheron peninsula, plans were drawn relating to Bayil slope-between the 20th area, Zygh lake-territories between the Heydar Aliyev Airport, Zygh lake and its surrounding, including surrounding areas of Sanghachal.

It should also be mentioned that  as approved by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan in 2003, 2 national programs called “On Ecologically sustainable social-economic development” and “Restoration and increasing forests” respectively, State Programs called “efficient use of summer-winter pastures and meadows and elimination of desolation” and “ Development of Hydrometeorology in the Republic of Azerbaijan” are being implemented now. With the implementation of the above mentioned State and National programs and the actions envisaged in the Complex actions plan by the participation of a number of state authorities, it will be possible to achieve improving the ecological situation in Baku and Absheron peninsula in the near future.