METHODOLGY

In this research, qualitative analysis was used to define the problems and suggest solutions to
them. It was aimed to interview people who are drivers, restaurant owners, ministry official and
executive power official. The purpose of interviews was to define the opinions of respondents and learn
facts. By interviewing them with the questions prepared beforehand, it became easy to identify which
constraints people face from their own perspectives. We estimated results according to the answers of
six people- 2 drivers, two industry owners, one ministry and one executive power officials. Ethical
norms while taking the interviews, were followed, so that no one was forced to being questioned. They
all participated voluntarily.

The questions given to them were not short answers like yes/no. They were open questions
which allowed them to express themselves clearly and explain every single point widely. Although the
number of participants of interview was not that much, the responds helped us acquire necessary
answers and compare them with one another. Approaches of all of them to protection of atmosphere
were different. According to those responds, we identified which problems are more dominant at
protection of atmosphere. We also acquired the information about the rules, limitations on people and
restrictions. Government officials informed us about which policies government have applied and what
are the consequence, on the other hand drivers and industry owners gave us information about which
constraints they face.

3. WHAT TO DO: POLICY OPTIONS

After listing all the problems Absheron Peninsula face, the proper solutions are necessary to
suggest in the way of protecting ecology. Without having solutions and applying them, no any problem
can be solved. So, in this chapter, we are going to suggest the possible ways to escape from harmful
gasses in atmosphere. In the following sections, four options is going to be suggested and evaluated
from the perspectives of efficiency, effectiveness, acceptability and feasibility.

3.1. Legal Involvement of Executive Powers in the Protection of Atmosphere

As we mentioned before, Ministry of Ecology currently is only government body operating

environmental issues in the country. The other sectors, such as Executive Powers, municipalities in
regions, have applied its instructions and warnings when it is necessary or sometimes neglected.
Therefore, due to the irresponsibility of their officials, ministry sometimes fail to make those
organizations take certain actions to protect atmosphere. Since they are not legally involved in
protection of environment, especially Executive Powers located in Absheron peninsula do not consider
themselves responsive to this major issue. As a result, ministry is overloaded with work and sometimes,
faces loss of time while trying to be in collaboration with other government bodies. This policy intends
to take some burdens from the shoulders of ministry and ensure they work more efficiently in
collaboration.

In order to eliminate irresponsible behavior of public organizations and diverse job

responsibility legally among various government bodies, establishment of special departments inside
the public organizations is necessary. There used to be department of Ecology operating under
Executive Powers, but those departments, then, shut down due to the unknown reasons. They were
considered not useful, and their operation stopped. Unfortunately, after they closed down, the
organizations started to neglect working on atmosphere-related cases. As a result, ministry took the
whole responsibility, and started the implementation of tasks. Currently, when ministry need some help
at operation, it sends official letters to Executive Powers. It takes sometimes months to acquire answer
from them and. Most times, they send the same letter several times. At the end, most of the times the
responses to them is negative. It takes sometimes months to acquire answer from them and continue
with job. In the time wasted to expect answer from Executive Power, could be used for implementing
the tasks.

Moreover, when businessmen or drivers violate rules set by government, ministry send its
officials to existing place for solving problem which is also another way of waste of time. Ministry is
loaded with burdens that are hard to implement on his own. Therefore, distribution of job responsibility
among ministry and Ecology departments of Executive Powers would reduce heaviness of job from its
shoulders. So, Ministry will not be left alone to function all the works by himself in the districts, and it
will be able to implement major functions easily by the help of other organizations.

In case of government diverse power from Ministry of Ecology, more effective tasks might be
applied, so it is going to create more significant environment to control the harmful gases included in
atmosphere by industrial enterprises and transportations. When the urgent and necessary situation
happens, according to the legally identified rights, each organization would implement its own
responsibility, in which Ministry of Ecology would work together with executive powers and execute
their jobs without loss of time. There would be no need to spend time to get executive powers engaged
in processes.

Currently, government provide only Ministry of Ecology with financial aid, allocated from
State Fund. As Executive Powers are not being held responsible, they are free from all kind of financial
assistance in ecological issues. If executive powers are legally engaged in the protection of atmosphere,
and if special responsibilities are set for them, then government is required to distribute money between
Ministry and Executive Powers. This might seems costly for government, because establishment of
departments of ecology within Executive Powers will also require new employees in this sector. The
fact that their salaries come from government, government might consider them burden. On the other
hand, the finance, going to the budget of ministry, cannot be spent properly, as the Ministry of Ecology
fails due to the overloaded work in control of gasses transmitted to atmosphere by industries and
transportations. Therefore, in the sake of protecting atmosphere, even if it take some money,
involvement of additional organizations to the collaboration with ministry is necessary.

Implementation of this policy is not hard for government, but the negative side of this policy is
the matter of cost. As long as enough amount of finance is shared among organizations, it will be in
favor of people and atmosphere. Even if the policy is acceptable by the citizens as long as it serves to
the people’s interests, this would not be acceptable by Executive Powers. They would try to keep
themselves aside from more responsibilities. On the other side, citizens of Absheron Peninsula is
concerned about the current situation of atmosphere, so that transferring of some functions from
ministry to executive powers would create fair environment . However, as government from the
administrative perspective would have some costs, government would not accept to execute this policy
as well. It might also be one of the reasons that, made authorities shut the departments down. In spite of
the fact that their function was considered unnecessary, the delays and failures in the implementation of
projects prove that there is a need for their operation.

In fact, having departments of ecology in Executive Powers could solve many problems and
would make them take measures for protecting atmosphere not only in Absheron Peninsula but also in
entire country. As Absheron Peninsula have most polluted weather in Azerbaijan, we have to
emphasize that at least in the executive powers included in this regions, is needed to create departments
that will have to work together with Ministry of Ecology in order to protect atmosphere well.