Large gates open onto a lush garden. On both sides are trees full of winter fruits. Different kinds of dates, pomegranates, figs, mandarins, lemons, Japanese mulberry with a single fruit hanging... From the path under the shed to the left, under the palm tree, there is a samovar and a tea table decorated with the fruits of the yard.

This yard belongs to the Agayevs. In 2000, Rafail Agayev took his family and moved to Arkhangelsk, Russia. He lived there for many years, before he and his wife Ulviyyat decided to return to Goredil, their dacha in the native settlement in Azerbaijan’s Absheron Peninsula.

The climate on the peninsula is mainly mild, hot and dry subtropical. It is one of the least rainy and windiest areas of the country. Chalky gray-brown, sandy soil typical for the desert and semi-desert landscape prevails in the area, and organic and mineral nutrient elements are weak in these soils. In such soil-climate conditions, gardening is difficult compared to other regions of the country. However, local gardeners like Agayev are trying to make a difference in the village where they live and protect the environment through small, daily actions against the background of the changing climate.

Global warming is already affecting the Absheron Peninsula, in particular in Baku. Heat waves are getting hotter and more frequent, according to the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan. The effects of the changing climate have already been felt by locals, especially people with cardiovascular diseases.

Azerbaijan is taking some steps to address the challenges brought on by global warming. In April 2021, the country joined the EU4Climate initiative, which covers a variety of issues from water and energy shortages to energy intensity and inefficiency resulting from the overreliance of some countries on fossil fuels to meet domestic energy demands.

“Though tackling the climate change problem requires systematic solutions such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions, fossil fuel extraction, meat consumption, etc., no one can deny that each person's individual action contributes to the solution too,” notes Ayan Shamchiyeva, an environmental advocate who pursue MA in Environmental Practice at the Manchester Metropolitan University.

“Planting trees and maintaining public gardens can improve air quality by removing pollutants from the air through plant photosynthesis. This is a crucial step in combating climate change and reducing the impact of greenhouse gas emissions.”

Shamchiyeva notes private gardens can play a real role in protecting local environments.

“Public gardening can provide a habitat for a range of wildlife, such as pollinators, birds, and insects, thus promoting biodiversity. By providing a natural habitat for wildlife, public gardens can play a vital role in preserving endangered species. Public gardening can also reduce stormwater runoff by absorbing rainwater and reducing soil erosion. This is important because excessive stormwater runoff can cause flooding, which can be detrimental to local communities. Additionally, by reducing soil erosion, public gardening can help maintain soil fertility and reduce the need for chemical fertilizers,” she says.

“By working together towards a common goal, individuals can form connections and gain a sense of purpose. The purpose of being useful can lead to a greater sense of community and a healthier environment. We should understand that all environmental problems are connected as a chain to one another, and destroying or improving it depends on us - people.”

Agayev learned how to breed plants and care for them from his father, who worked as an agronomist. He began to recognize trees as a child by observing fruit growing in his yard.

“My father was an agronomist. He was also engaged in personal gardening, and I was always his assistant in these works, so I was attached to gardening,” Agayev recalls.

“This work really impacts a person. For example, you plant a baby seedling in the ground, start watering and caring for it. As long as you live, it grows and matures before your eyes. You grow it, it takes you in its shadow. A relationship blossoms between you. You spade the soil, you revive it. You do a favor to the soil, and it sprouts the seed you threw and gives you greenery. Shortly, you become friends, and become related...I can't pull up a tree and throw it away. My heart aches when a place of a tree is empty.”

“Until about 25-30 years ago, there was a lot of rain and snow in Baku. There was no drought. Now there is neither that rain nor that snow. This accelerates warming in this region. There should be plenty of greenery, but the forests go to the hands of the businessmen, and the greenery is destroyed. This is one of the reasons that accelerates global warming. Greenery is the protector of nature. Global warming can be avoided by abundant greenery.”

“Most of the flowers in the neighborhood came from my yard. Everyone in these neighborhoods knows that I distribute fruit seedlings and flower seedlings. Therefore, whoever wants to plant flowers around their door, comes to me. I share it with an open heart, I say, take it, plant it, and let our village be full of flowers.”

“I bring seedlings mainly from Lankaran. Look, I brought these ivy roses from our village and planted them and multiplied them. If you go out and walk around, you will see these roses in many neighborhoods of Goradil. You see these mandarins, lemons, kumquats... I brought the seedlings of almost all of them from our village in Lankaran.”

Agayev believes the steps that every individual can take at a local level can help ease the effects of big environmental issues.

“If you plant a mulberry tree on the road, after a few years a passer-by takes shelter under its large branches to cool down and taste its fruit, this is environmental propaganda in itself. Mulberry and fig are the best-growing trees in Absheron. I have a plan to plant more trees in public spaces again. I have also found places. The tree by the side of the road belongs to everyone. People use its fruit and shade. Mulberry time overlaps with the end of the school season. When the children of the neighborhood come back from school, they definitely eat that mulberry.”

This photo story was prepared with support from the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) South Caucasus Regional Office. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views of FES.