Space Capabilities for the Benefits of the Economy of Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan is a country with emerging economy and vast oil and gas resources, which are the main source of income for the government. In order to diversify its economy and achieve sustainable growth in various non-oil sectors of economy, Azerbaijan realizes the importance of using satellite collected information to monitor the environment. With food and agriculture product prices going up during recent Covid-19 pandemics, Azerbaijan sees a good opportunity to invest into agriculture industry and animal farms. These thrusts, however, demand effective irrigation systems and nationwide high-quality road infrastructure. Confronted with limited unpolluted-water supplies, uneven distribution of population across its territory, and the expected population growth from current ten million people to around 20 million in the next 20–30 years, Azerbaijan faces a crucial choice to determine right places for new economic activities including transportation networks and tapping groundwater for irrigation, while preserving and extending natural parks in the country. Satellite observations of the territory of Azerbaijan, guided with novel radar technologies, offer benefits in achieving these goals. Data collected from space helps to locate healthy groundwater locations, propose new road and communication lines without impact to the environment.