Professor Amin Ismayilov: "Urgent Measures at National and International Levels Are Essential to Preserve Soil Fertility"

This year marks the 75th anniversary of distinguished soil scientist, Corresponding Member of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS), Doctor of Agricultural Sciences, Professor Amin Ismayilov.

In this interview, the renowned scientist shares his views on the future of soil and water resources, the risks posed by climate change, environmental challenges in the Caspian region, the role of digital technologies and artificial intelligence in modern science, and many other topical issues.

– Professor Ismayilov, it is widely recognized that soil plays an indispensable role in ensuring food security and protecting the environment. Therefore, the responsibilities of soil science are becoming increasingly important. What can you say about the current development trends in soil science?

Indeed, soil is one of the most valuable natural resources for human life. Nevertheless, throughout the world, the protection and sustainable use of soil resources have not always received the attention they deserve. Today, under the conditions of global climate change, we are witnessing an accelerating trend of natural resource depletion and environmental pollution. Consequently, countries worldwide have made food security one of their highest priorities. Ensuring food security is directly linked to the conservation and improvement of soil fertility.

First of all, it should be emphasized that soil is a non-renewable natural resource. For example, it takes approximately 2,000 years for just 10 centimeters of fertile topsoil to form. Moreover, only 12 percent of the Earth's total land surface is considered suitable for agricultural production.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the improper use of land continues to result in the degradation and loss of arable soils worldwide. Today, approximately 33 percent of global soil resources have already been degraded.

While the amount of productive agricultural land continues to decline, both the world's population and demand for food are steadily increasing. According to United Nations projections, the global population is expected to reach 9 billion by 2050. Whereas 54 percent of the world's population currently lives in urban areas, this figure is projected to rise to 66 percent by 2050.

To meet the growing food demand, global agricultural production will need to increase by approximately 60 percent, while developed countries may need to double their agricultural output. These challenges make it imperative to implement urgent national and international measures aimed at protecting soil fertility and minimizing harmful impacts on soil resources. Naturally, comprehensive soil research forms the scientific foundation of such efforts.

For this reason, international attention to soil research has been steadily increasing. A clear example is the United Nations General Assembly's designation of 2015 as the International Year of Soils. Initially planned as a one-year initiative, it was later expanded into a ten-year global programme, reflecting the growing concern of the international community over soil conservation.

Furthermore, to ensure that soil protection remains a continuous global priority, the United Nations designated 5 December as World Soil Day (WSD). Celebrated in nearly every country, the purpose of this observance is to raise public awareness of the fundamental role that healthy soils play in sustaining ecosystems and human well-being.

It should also be noted that, in accordance with its mandate, FAO has consistently implemented numerous initiatives for the protection of global soil resources. One of the most significant of these is the Global Soil Partnership (GSP), in which we have also been actively involved. Established by FAO in 2012, the programme continues to operate successfully.

Another major international milestone was the adoption of the World Soil Charter during the 39th Session of the FAO Conference in June 2015. In fact, this document represents a revised version of the original Charter adopted in 1981.

The revised Charter covers five major thematic areas and provides an important scientific and practical framework for advancing national soil science through harmonized approaches to soil research, mapping, classification, and methodology. Above all, it highlights the indispensable role of soil in maintaining healthy ecosystems and ensuring human well-being.

– Your scientific career has largely focused on the most pressing issues in soil science. Your PhD research dealt with the reclamation of saline soils, while your doctoral dissertation focused on developing soil informatics based on modern geoinformation technologies in Azerbaijan. How did the idea of applying digital technologies to soil science emerge, and what inspired you to pursue this field?

That is absolutely correct. During the Soviet period, large-scale land reclamation projects were carried out across Azerbaijan, and enormous quantities of irrigation water were used to wash salts from agricultural soils. Consequently, my PhD research focused on investigating the possibility of using mineralized collector-drainage waters-which were otherwise discharged into the sea-for soil desalination instead of conventional irrigation water.

After completing this research, I was invited in 1985 to join a Moscow-based team of experts working in the Syrian Arab Republic as a soil science specialist. During my three years there, I had the opportunity to collaborate with experts from many countries. It was during this period that I met Professor A. V. Rozhkov, one of the pioneers of soil informatics in the former Soviet Union.

Upon returning to Baku, in 1991, we established the "Computer Applications in Soil Science and Agrochemistry" research group at the Institute of Soil Science and Agrochemistry. Four years later, in 1995, this group became the Soil Informatics Laboratory, laying the conceptual foundation for the development of Azerbaijan's national soil information system.

The research carried out within this framework naturally led to the establishment of the country's digital soil mapping programme, marking the beginning of a new era in the application of information technologies to soil science.

– One of the key areas of Azerbaijan’s international integration in soil science has been the projects you have implemented in cooperation with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). As you mentioned, FAO places particular emphasis on the Global Soil Partnership (GSP). Could you tell us about the work carried out and the achievements made within the framework of this cooperation?

– Yes, the conservation of soil resources and the enhancement of soil fertility are among the key priorities for achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In line with its mandate, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) attaches particular importance to supporting these objectives.

The World Soil Charter, adopted in 2015, identifies the establishment and development of National Soil Information Systems, as well as support for the development of the Global Soil Information System, as one of the principal responsibilities of governments that have endorsed the Charter.

It should be noted that the primary objective of the Global Soil Information System is to harmonize, standardize, systematize, and integrate soil data from different countries into a unified global database.

The World Soil Charter also outlines the major responsibilities of the scientific community. These include supporting the preparation and dissemination of reliable scientific assessments on the state of global soil resources and sustainable soil management, coordinating the development of a high-resolution global soil information system, and ensuring its integration with global Earth observation and remote sensing systems.

As can be seen, the priorities defined in the Charter encompass the most pressing issues in soil science while also shaping the future directions of research in this field. Achieving these objectives requires soil scientists to address several key tasks, including improving soil diagnostic, classification, and typological methodologies; harmonizing them at the international level; establishing unified soil databases and modern information systems; digitizing cartographic materials; and ensuring that all these activities comply with the standards and recommendations of FAO and the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB).

In line with these international requirements, Azerbaijan has successfully integrated its national soil classification system with the international classification framework and has produced digital soil maps of various scales that meet international standards. Among the most significant scientific achievements highlighted in the annual reports of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences are the country's 1:500,000, 1:200,000, and 1:100,000 scale digital soil maps.

One of the most important achievements in terms of international integration was the completion of the Soil Atlas of Asia project in 2022. Implemented jointly by FAO and the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC), the project resulted in the preparation of a new digital soil map of Azerbaijan, which was subsequently included in the Atlas.

The principal advantage of this map is that, for the first time, the taxonomic units of transboundary soils were harmonized under the supervision of international experts and with the participation of scientists from neighboring countries.

Furthermore, within the framework of the Global Soil Partnership, modern soil salinity maps meeting international standards were prepared as part of the Global Map of Salt-Affected Soils (GSASmap) initiative and incorporated into the global information platform.

– Professor Ismayilov, in recent years global climate change has had a significant impact on soil and water resources. What are the main risks these processes pose to different regions of Azerbaijan, and what scientific approaches do you consider necessary to address them?

– As is well known, one of the principal drivers of global climate change is the increasing concentration of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in the atmosphere. Therefore, one of the primary objectives is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In this context, soils represent one of the world's largest natural carbon reservoirs, playing a crucial role in carbon sequestration and long-term storage.

To put this into perspective, while the Earth's vegetation and dead organic matter contain approximately 456 petagrams of organic carbon, the upper one metre of soil alone stores around 1,417 petagrams-nearly three times more. Consequently, one of the most important measures for mitigating climate change is preventing the release of soil organic carbon into the atmosphere.

This depends directly on the sustainable and scientifically sound management of soil resources. Maintaining dense vegetation cover, protecting fertile topsoil, and applying appropriate agricultural practices all contribute to increasing soil organic carbon storage, thereby helping to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change.

At present, widespread soil degradation and desertification are accelerating the release of stored organic carbon into the atmosphere, further intensifying global warming. Addressing these global challenges first requires the collection of reliable data and comprehensive geospatial analyses.

For this reason, the Global Soil Partnership (GSP) launched the Global Soil Organic Carbon Mapping (GSOCmap) initiative. In accordance with the project's methodology, Azerbaijan's soil organic carbon stocks were assessed for the first time, and a national soil organic carbon map was produced in line with international standards.

This map was incorporated into the first Global Soil Organic Carbon Map, published by FAO in 2017, and was subsequently made available on the Organization's official website.

This achievement once again demonstrates that soil is an irreplaceable natural resource. Soil plays a decisive role not only in ensuring food security but also in mitigating the impacts of climate change and safeguarding the environment.

– President Ilham Aliyev has identified environmental security, efficient water resource management, and the "green development" policy as national priorities. What key responsibilities do these priorities place on scientists and experts?

– From the perspective of advancing soil science through modern geoinformation technologies, establishing a national soil information system, and integrating Azerbaijan into the international soil and environmental information network, the Decree of President Ilham Aliyev of 7 July 2021, approving the new economic regional division of the Republic of Azerbaijan, has been of great significance.

This decision has created broad opportunities for organizing soil research based on new scientific approaches and has stimulated the systematic and goal-oriented implementation of research activities.

Organizing soil research according to the country's new economic regions not only facilitates the analysis of scientific findings but also contributes to the development of geospatial databases based on unified principles, eliminates existing inconsistencies, and strengthens the integration of science with agricultural production.

One of the major achievements in this area is the Soil Maps of the Economic Regions of the Republic of Azerbaijan, prepared in 2022 and published in 2025. Unlike traditional approaches, the soil types and mapping units presented in these maps were compiled in accordance with FAO's recommendations and methodology for digital soil mapping.

One of the key issues highlighted during the meeting on agricultural development chaired by President Ilham Aliyev on 25 May 2025 was the efficient use of soil resources. In his address, the President emphasized that accurate soil analysis makes it possible to determine the most suitable agricultural crops for each specific area.

He also stressed the importance of employing modern technologies-including artificial intelligence, satellite data, and the results of field investigations—in the scientific assessment of every land parcel. These approaches create significant opportunities for the digital transformation of soil science, the wider application of geoinformation technologies, and the establishment of a national soil information system in line with international standards.

– Extensive reconstruction and restoration activities are currently underway in Azerbaijan's liberated territories. From the perspective of studying, monitoring, and ensuring the sustainable use of soil resources in these areas, which scientific issues do you consider to be of particular importance?

– Since Azerbaijan's historic victory in 2020, soil scientists, like researchers in many other scientific disciplines, have initiated comprehensive studies of the soil cover in the liberated territories.

Today, satellite imagery, geographic information systems (GIS), and other digital technologies make it possible to conduct comprehensive geospatial analyses of soil resources, assess their current condition, and carry out continuous monitoring of virtually any territory.

One of the most significant achievements in this field is the publication of the "Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur: Atlas of Natural Resources", prepared and published in 2024 through the joint efforts of specialists representing various scientific disciplines, including geology, botany, zoology, geography, soil science, and others.

I would particularly like to acknowledge the valuable contribution of the Geodesy and Cartography Agency under the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Azerbaijan, whose specialists played a crucial role in preparing this fundamental publication.

The Atlas provides comprehensive scientific information and modern cartographic materials on the natural resources of the liberated territories, including their soil and water resources.

With regard to the sustainable use of soil and water resources, it should be noted that agricultural enterprises established in these territories apply modern scientific approaches and international standards in land and water management.

Although the region possesses abundant water resources, priority is given to the introduction of the latest water-saving irrigation technologies in order to ensure the conservation and efficient use of these valuable resources.

 – Having worked for many years both as a researcher and an educator at universities and scientific institutions, how do you assess the current state of training young specialists in soil science, and what recommendations would you offer them?

– In my opinion, there is a considerable demand for highly qualified soil scientists both in Azerbaijan and internationally.

Today, a modern soil scientist must possess not only profound expertise in soil science but also practical skills in geoinformation technologies. Without the ability to work with Geographic Information Systems (GIS), satellite imagery, and digital databases, achieving high-level scientific results has become extremely difficult.

At the same time, the use of artificial intelligence has become one of the most important requirements of modern scientific research. Artificial intelligence offers broad opportunities for modelling soil processes, identifying the spatial distribution of taxonomic units in soil maps, and conducting advanced geospatial analyses, thereby significantly improving the efficiency and accuracy of scientific studies.

One of my most important recommendations to young researchers is to achieve a high level of proficiency in the English language. During more than 25 years of cooperation with various international organizations, I have repeatedly witnessed the growing demand for talented young specialists.

Unfortunately, many of our young professionals are unable to take advantage of these opportunities because of the language barrier.

International organizations engaged in soil research, including the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), where we maintain close cooperation, employ numerous young experts from different countries around the world. I firmly believe that the number of Azerbaijani soil scientists working in these organizations will increase in the near future.

It is also encouraging that, in recent years, I have encountered an increasing number of talented, motivated, and forward-looking young researchers during master's thesis defenses. Their openness to modern scientific approaches gives us great confidence in the future development of soil science.

Interview conducted by:
Nargiz Gahramanova
Head of the Electronic Information Sector, Department of Public Relations, Press and Information, Presidium Office of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS).

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