BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 20. The scale of destruction in the territories of Azerbaijan liberated from occupation can be described by the term “urbicide,” and the total area of the devastated territories is comparable to the size of Lebanon, Farid Shafiyev, Chairman of the Center for International Relations Analysis, said, Trend reports.
Shafiyev made the remark at the international panel discussion “Revival and Urbicide: Sustainable Urban Development and Resilient Communities,” held as part of WUF13.
He noted that the event was attended by representatives of the government, academia, public figures, and experts, and that the discussions focused primarily on issues of urban destruction and reconstruction. “One of the main topics of interest to our center within the framework of this forum is the problem of urbicide. The scale of urbicide that Azerbaijan has faced is comparable to the territory of a country like Lebanon,” he said.
Furthermore, Shafiyev emphasized that images of the liberated territories, taken in 2021, clearly demonstrated the scale of the destruction.
“These images were not from Hollywood movies, but from real life. A few months later, upon visiting these territories, we encountered completely destroyed cities and villages. Over the past five years, a completely new landscape has emerged in these territories.
“Today, these areas feature restored settlements, infrastructure, and power and gas lines. Azerbaijan has gained significant experience in this field. The concept of urbicide is one of the topics that has received the most attention in academic literature over the past 25 to 30 years,” he added.
Today, the fourth day of the WUF13 conference is taking place in Baku.
The first day included a ministerial meeting dedicated to the New Urban Agenda, a ministerial roundtable, assemblies for women and civil society, business sessions, and discussions on urban prosperity. An official ceremony marking the raising of the UN and Azerbaijani flags also took place.
The second day stood out for the inaugural Leaders' Summit, featuring high-level discussions on the global housing crisis, urbanization policy, and urban resilience. Concurrently, the opening of the Mexico City pavilion took place, serving as a significant platform for expanding cooperation with the Latin American region and preparing for WUF14.
The third day of WUF13 featured a comprehensive program of events covering the global housing crisis, the formation of safe and inclusive cities, climate resilience, artificial intelligence and urban governance, green urbanization, social equity, and sustainable transport.
WUF13, which has attracted more than 40,000 registered participants from 182 countries, will continue until May 22. Held under the theme “Housing the world: Safe and resilient cities and communities,” the forum brings together governments, international organizations, experts, and representatives of civil society to strengthen global cooperation in the field of sustainable urban development.
