Azerbaijan’s population is vulnerable to earthquakes, drought and flooding. The GFDRR Disaster Risk Profile for the country estimated that an earthquake with a 250-year return period would affect $40 billion (71%) of Azerbaijan’s GDP and 3 million (34%) of its population (GFDRR, 2016). Droughts are of frequent occurrence, and can lead to forest fires such as those experienced in 2014, when 59 hectares of forest were damaged by 12 fires (Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, 2015). Flooding is a regular issue in the country, denuding the land and damaging soil. It is estimated to cause the Azerbaijan economy a total damage of $18-25 million each year (Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, 2010).
This section provides a summary of key natural hazards and their associated socioeconomic impacts in a given country. And it allows quick evaluation of most vulnerable areas through the spatial comparison of natural hazard data with development data, thereby identifying exposed livelihoods and natural systems.