Baku: The Baku Boulevard (Seaside National Park) has been awarded the prestigious ‘Green Flag Award’, APA reports. This recognition is part of a globally respected park management evaluation system, which assesses public recreational areas for their management standards. The evaluation focuses on maintaining and developing green spaces that are accessible, safe, well-maintained, and environmentally sustainable for the community.
According to Azeri-Press News Agency, the ‘Green Flag Award’ program was established in 1996 and is now implemented in over 20 countries as an international environmental assessment system. The award is reserved for parks and recreational areas that achieve high scores based on numerous criteria, including the preservation of greenery, cleanliness and safety, infrastructure condition, management efficiency, care for nature, public participation, and inclusiveness.
The Baku Boulevard’s (Seaside National Park) candidacy for the Green Flag Award was part of a multi-stage international evaluation process. A comprehensive set of applications and documents related to the park’s maintenance and management system, environmental policy, service structure, greening, and cleanliness standards was assessed. The evaluation was conducted by an international panel of experts serving as judges for the award. In the final stage, detailed monitoring and evaluations were conducted directly at the National Park site based on nearly 30 criteria with the participation of these judges.
As a unique historical, natural-ecological, and cultural complex, the evaluation process of the Baku Boulevard (Seaside National Park) especially highlighted its aesthetic significance, the creation of a unique urban environment reflecting the history and modern development of Baku city, its public importance, as well as the unique management model applied by the state in its preservation and administration.
It should be noted that the Baku Boulevard (Seaside National Park) was also awarded the ‘International Large Urban Parks Award’ last year in the Netherlands for its uniqueness, ecological and social significance, as well as its achievements in preservation and protection.