Explaining Path-Dependent Patterns in Azerbaijan’s Environmental Governance

This chapter analyzes the impact of Soviet environmental governance on Azerbaijan. The legacies of the USSR’s environmental approach have haunted and hampered environmental governance in Azerbaijan. Path dependency has shown itself in the lack of adequate environmental impact assessments, inspections and monitoring. For nearly 30 years, environmental governance practices in Azerbaijan have not been profoundly reformed. The chapter looks at the environmental management and protection policies, inspection procedures and environmental impact assessment guidelines which are outdated. It discusses other path-dependent shortcomings: coordination problems, the unclear separation of authority, the lack of independence of environmental actors and the low priority given to the environment by policy-makers.