The return of the population to Azerbaijan’s territories liberated from occupation makes a significant contribution to reducing the burden on housing provision in the country, Azerbaijan’s Minister of Economy Mikayil Jabbarov said during his speech at the dialogue session titled “Transforming informal settlements and slums: housing provision for the world” held within the framework of WUF13, APA-Economics reports.
According to the minister, the period after 2020 has mainly been characterized by the Great Return Program, and the return of thousands of people who had lived as internally displaced persons for more than 30 years to their native lands reduces pressure on the housing sector.
Mikayil Jabbarov stated that Azerbaijan’s main lesson in this field was first the formal recognition of the problem, and then the development of a solution model taking into account political, social and economic factors.
He noted that in order to achieve successful results, it is important to build an effective economic model with the support of local communities, the political will of the government, and the participation of the private sector.
The minister added that in recent years, procedures for commissioning multi-apartment residential buildings have been simplified, and amnesty mechanisms have been applied for some informal constructions that meet the main urban planning requirements.
At the same time, he stressed that the legalization of illegal constructions should be carried out cautiously. Because while a simple amnesty may solve short-term social problems, in the future it may increase pressure on agricultural lands, forest areas, water resources and critical infrastructure zones.
