Research staff of the Institute of Geography named after academician H.A. Aliyev of the Ministry of Science and Education - head of the department “Landscape research and landscape planning”, PhD in geography, Associate Professor Mirnukh Ismailov, PhD Gulnar Hajiyeva, Emil Jabrayilov, Shafiga Valieva and Amina Muradova conducted field research work related to the environmental situation in the Masalli, Lankaran and Astara regions.Experts studied the landscape and ecological situation in areas where landslides and floods occur, the causes and consequences of landslides, as well as measures to eliminate them.

Landslide zones were recorded mainly in the villages of Shiekaran, Siyaku, Askhanakaran, Tengerud, Lomin and the village of Kijeba in the Astara region, as well as on the 8th and 10th kilometers of the Degadi-Pelikesh highway. In the Lankaran region, landslide activity was observed in the villages of Khoravenj and Gegiran, as well as on the 17th and 19th kilometers of the Lankaran-Lerik highway.

According to the head of the department, M. Ismailov, the main causes of landslides in the region are anthropogenic activities that create environmental risks, erosion processes in the upper soil layer, interference in the forest ecosystem, and precipitation. The construction of reservoirs on the main rivers of the region, the intensive development of sand and gravel quarries in the valleys of dried up rivers, the filling of river beds with household waste, the targeted intervention of tourist sites in river beds have dramatically changed the natural hydrogeomorphological conditions in river valleys, which leads to increased landslides in floodplains and coastal areas, destruction of road infrastructure.