Solving Global Problems and the “Green World”: Ecomuseums and Greenways

Abstract

Ecomuseums demonstrate the uniqueness of a particular area by organizing a “living” collection of the region’s natural, historical and cultural treasures. Their activities are based on the full participation of local communities and the support of local governments, and ecomuseums play a major role in significantly improving the social well-being of the local population. Ecomuseums are often organized along national, regional, or international Greenways. These ways bring together natural and historical sites, various museums (especially ecomuseums), art and ethnography centers, tourist accommodation hotels, recreation centers, and other elements. The article analyzes the global problems of our time, studies the role of Azerbaijan in solving these problems, and emphasizes the importance of declaring 2024 as the “Year of Solidarity for a Green World”. The role of ecomuseums and greenways in solving global problems is brought to the fore, and the prospects for creating similar institutions based on world experience in a number of regions of the Republic of Azerbaijan are substantiated. It is emphasized that the creation of ecomuseums will contribute to the environmental education of the population, the development of “green” technologies, the preservation and propaganda of the historical, cultural and natural heritage of local communities, the development of tourism and thereby improving the material well-being of the population. Considering the place of museums and culture in education and enlightenment, one cannot fail to note the relevance of the issue raised. The creation of ecomuseums will play a major role in the formation of a knowledge society and developmental education, especially the ecological education of the population in Azerbaijan.

Keywords

• Global Problems
• Green World
• Azerbaijan
• Knowledge Society
• Ecomuseums

Küresel Sorunların Çözümü ve “Yeşil Dünya”: Ekomüzeler ve “Yeşil Yollar”

Abstract

Ekomüzeler, bir bölgenin doğal, tarihî ve kültürel hazinelerinin “canlı” bir koleksiyonunu düzenleyerek o bölgenin benzersizliğini sergilemektedir. Faaliyetleri yerel toplulukların tam katılımına ve yerel yönetimlerin desteğine dayanmaktadır ve ekomüzeler, yerel halkın sosyal refahını önemli ölçüde iyileştirmede büyük rol oynamaktadır. Ekomüzeler genellikle ulusal, bölgesel veya uluslararası “yeşil yollar” boyunca düzenlenmektedir. Bu yollar doğal ve tarihî alanları, çeşitli müzeleri (özellikle ekomüzeleri), sanat ve etnografya merkezlerini, turistik konaklama otellerini, dinlenme merkezlerini ve diğer unsurları bir araya getirmektedir. Bu makalede günümüzün küresel sorunları analiz edilmiş, Azerbaycan’ın bu sorunların çözümüne yönelik katkıları incelenmiş ve 2024 yılının “Yeşil Dünya İçin Dayanışma Yılı” ilan edilmesinin önemi vurgulanmıştır. Ekomüzeler ve yeşil yolların küresel sorunların çözümündeki potansiyel rolü ön plana çıkarılmış, Azerbaycan’ın çeşitli bölgelerinde uluslararası deneyimlerden yararlanılarak benzer kurumların oluşturulmasına yönelik imkânlar ortaya konmuştur. Ekomüzelerin kurulmasının halkın çevre bilinci ve eğitiminin artırılmasına, “yeşil” teknolojilerin geliştirilmesine, yerel topluluklara ait tarihî, kültürel ve doğal mirasın korunması ve tanıtılmasına, turizmin teşvikine ve dolayısıyla toplumun maddi refahının yükseltilmesine katkı sağlayacağı ifade edilmiştir. Müzelerin ve kültürel yapıların eğitim ve toplumsal aydınlanmadaki işlevi dikkate alındığında, ele alınan konunun güncelliği ve önemi açıkça ortaya çıkmaktadır. Ekomüzelerin kurulması, Azerbaycan’da özellikle ekolojik eğitimin gelişmesine, bilgi toplumunun oluşmasına ve gelişimsel eğitimin şekillenmesine önemli katkılar sağlayacaktır.

Keywords

• Küresel Sorunlar
• Yeşil Dünya
• Azerbaycan
• Bilgi Toplumu
• Ekomüzeler

References

1. Aliyev, Farkhad and Chingiz Juvarli. "The Social Consequence of Energy Development." Energy, Ecology, Economy 4 (1998): 88-91. google scholar
2. Azərbaycan. "Azərbaycan. Fiziki Xəritə." Accessed January 12, 2026. https://azerbaijan.az/physical google scholar
3. “Azərbaycan Respublikasında 2024-cü İlin “Yaşıl Dünya Naminə Həmrəylik İli” Elan Edilməsi Haqqında Azərbaycan Respublikası Prezidentinin Sərəncamı.” Respublika December 26, 2023. google scholar
4. Azertag. “Azərbaycan Respublikasında İxtisaslaşmış Turizm Sənayesinin İnkişafına dair Strateji Yol Xəritəsi.” December 6, 2016. Accessed January 12, 2026. https://azertag.az/store/files/Strateji_yol_xeritesi/Turizm_s%C9%99nayesinin_inki%C5%9Faf%C4%B1na_dair_strateji_yol_xeritesi.pdf google scholar
5. Barua, Kriti. “Top 10 Most Populated Nations of the World (2025).” Jagranjosh. July 10, 2025. Accessed July 21, 2025. https://www.jagranjosh.com/general-knowledge/top-ten-most-populated-nations-of-the-world-1393925211-1 google scholar
6. Bellaigue-Scalbert, Mathilde. “Actors in the Real World.” Museum International 148 (1985): 194-197. google scholar
7. Cəfərova, Nəzmin. “Azərbaycanda Biliklər Cəmiyyətinin Formalaşmasında Muzeylərin Yeri.” 17. International Turkic Art, History and Folklore Congress / Art Activities (In Honor of Academic Naile Velihanli). 05-07 September 2023 Baku (Azerbaijan). Aydın: Adnan Menderes University, 2023, 525-529. google scholar
8. Cəfərova, Nəzmin. “Biliklər Cəmiyyətinə Doğru Addım: Ekomuzeylər və “Yaşıl Yollar”ın Yaradılması Perspektivləri.” Turizm və Qonaqpərvərlik Tədqiqatları 2 (2023): 98-106. doi:10.61226/12.2.2023.9 google scholar

9. Cəfərova, Nəzmin ve Cəmil Tağıyev. “Mədəni-Dərketmə Turizminin İnkişafinda Bələdiyyələrin Rolu (Muzeyşünaslıq Kontekstində).” Gənc Tədqiqatçı 2 (2025): 45-51. doi:10.59849/2409-4838.2025.2.45 google scholar
10. Comune di Abbateggio. "Ecomuseo del Paleolitico - Valle Giumentina." Accessed January 13, 2023. https://www.comune.abbateggio.pe.it/it/vivere/ecomuseo-del-paleolitico-valle-giumentina google scholar
11. "Declaration of Quebec–Basic Principles of a New Museology (1984)." Sociomuseology IV: Cadernos de Sociomuseologia 38 (2010): 23-25. Accessed January 17, 2024, https://www.ces.uc.pt/projectos/somus/docs/Quebec%20declaration%201984.pdf google scholar
12. Donghai, Su. “The Concept of the Ecomuseum and its Practice in China.” Museum International LX (60) (2008): 29-39. google scholar
13. e-qanun. “Azərbaycan Respublikasının Konstitusiyası,” November 12, 1995. Accessed September 16, 2023. https://e-qanun.az/framework/897 google scholar
14. e-qanun. “Bələdiyyələrin Statusu haqqında Azərbaycan Respublikasının Qanunu.” July 2, 1999. Accessed September 16, 2023. https://e-qanun.az/framework/4770 google scholar
15. e-qanun. “Bələdiyyələrin Maliyyəsinin Əsasları haqqında Azərbaycan Respublikasının Qanunu.” December 7, 1999. Accessed September 16, 2023. https://e-qanun.az/framework/5231 google scholar
16. e-qanun. “Muzeylər haqqında Azərbaycan Respublikasının Qanun.” March 24, 2000. Accessed September 16, 2023. https://e-qanun.az/framework/735 google scholar
17. e-qanun. “Azərbaycan Respublikasının 2022-2026-cı İllərdə Sosial-İqtisadi İnkişaf Strategiyası,” July 22, 2022. Accessed March 4, 2024. https://e-qanun.az/framework/50013 google scholar
18. Ecomuseums and Climate Change. Edited by Nunzia Borrelli, Peter Davis and Raul Dal Santo. Milano: Ledizioni, 2022. google scholar
19. Evloyeva, Fatima. “Problema Otchujdeniya Cheloveka v Rossiyskom Obshestve i Qlobalnom Mire [Problem of Human Alienation in the Russian Society and the Global World].” Bulletin of Buryat State University. Philosophy 2 (2019): 74-82. doi:10.18101/1994-0866-2019-2-74-82 google scholar
20. Genuine Amber. "Amber Road." Accessed January 12, 2026. https://genuineamber.com/amber-road/ google scholar
21. Ghorbanzadeh, Mojgan. “Rural Tourism Entrepreneurship Survey with Emphasis on Ecomuseum Concept.” Civil Engineering Journal 4 (6) (2018): 1403-1414. google scholar
22. Gritskevich, Valentin and Aleksandr Qujalovskiy. Istoriya Muzeyev Mira [History of World Museums]. Minsk: Belarusian State University, 2004. google scholar
23. Hubert, François. “Ecomuseums in France: Contradictions and Distortions.” Museum International 148 (1985): 186-190. google scholar
24. "Introduction." Towards Knowledge Societies. Paris: the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, 2005. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000141843 google scholar
25. Istoriya Nauki i Tekhniki: Uchebnoe Posobie Dlya Tekhnicheskikh Vuzov [History of Science and Technology: A Textbook for Technical Universities]. Edited by Natalia Panina and Irina Larionova, A Textbook for Technical Universities. Moscow, 2010. google scholar
26. Italian Special Occasions. “The Eco-museums of Friuli Venezia Giulia: Heritage, Crafts & Territory.” Accessed January 13, 2026. https://italianspecialoccasions.com/blog/the-eco-museums-of-friuli-venezia-giulia-heritage-crafts-territory/ google scholar
27. Jafarova, Nazmin. “Cultural Tourism as an Important Component of Economic Development of the State.” 3rd International Conference “Ohrid –Vodici, 2015” Conference Proceedings, Ohrid/Macedonia, January 17-19, 2015. Ohrid: Institute for Socio-cultural Anthropology of Macedonia, 2015, 172-176. google scholar
28. Jafarova, Nazmin. “Ekomuzei v Azerbayjane: Vozmojnosti i Perspektivi [Ecomuseums in Azerbaijan: Opportunities and Prospects].” Elm 22, November 28, 2014. google scholar
29. Jafarova, Nazmin. Istoriya Sozdaniya i Razvitiya Literaturnikh Muzeyev Qoroda Baku [The History of the Creation and Development of Literary Museums in Baku]. PhD diss, National Museum of Azerbaijan Literature Named After Nizami Ganjavi, 2011. google scholar
30. Jafarova, Nazmin. “Knowledge Society in Azerbaijan and Museums: Development Prospects.” German International Journal of Modern Science 72 (2024): 7-10. doi:10.5281/zenodo.10530479 google scholar
31. Jafarova, Nazmin and Jamil Taghiyev. “The Role of Municipalities in The Development of Cultural and Educational Tourism (In The Context of Museum Studies).” 2023. Preprint. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/376495070_THE_ROLE_OF_MUNICIPALITIES_IN_THE_DEVELOPMENT_OF_CULTURAL_AND_EDUCATIONAL_TOURISM_IN_THE_CONTEXT_OF_MUSEUM_STUDIES. doi: 10.13140/RG.2.2.11206.65609 google scholar
32. Jeníček, Vladimir. “Global Problems of the World – Structure, Urgency.” Agricultural Economics 2 (2008), 63-67. doi:10.17221/269-AGRICECON google scholar
33. Kazior, Barbara. "Heritage and Ecomuseums." Greenways. Accessed October 22, 2024. https://www.greenways.by/index.php?content&id=18&lang=en google scholar
34. Maggi, Maurizio and Vittorio Falletti. Ecomuseums in Europe: What They Are and What They Can Be. Torino: IRES: Istituto di Ricerche Economico Sociali del Piemonte, 2000. Accessed January 15, 2024. https://www.byterfly.eu/islandora/object/librib:377599/datastream/PDF/content/librib_377599.pdf google scholar
35. Martynenko, Sergey. “Sosiokulturnoye Izmereniye Qlobalizasii [Sociocultural Dimension of Globalization].” Security of Eurasia 3 (2008): 148-156. google scholar
36. Merciu, Cristina. “Ecomuseums, a New Form of Revitalization of Spaces and Their Role in Territorial Management Policies.” The Annals of Valahia University of Târgovişte, Geographical Series 11 (2011): 151-161. google scholar
37. Montanari, Elena. “Ecomuseums and Contemporary Multi-cultural Communities: Assessing Problems and Potentialities through the Experience of the Écomusée du Val de Bièvre, Fresnes, France.” Museum & Society 13 (3) (2015): 369-384. google scholar
38. Negacz, Katarzyna and Anna Para. “The Ecomuseum as a Sustainable Product and an Accelerator of Regional Development. The Case of the Subcarpathian Province.” Economic and Environmental Studies 14 (1) (2014): 51-73. google scholar
39. Nekhamkin, Valeriy. “Osnovniye Podkhodi k Resheniyu Qlobalnikh Problem: Vozmojnosti i Predeli [Basic Approaches to the Solution of Global Problems: Possibilities and Limits].” Society and Power 4 (2014): 13-17. google scholar
40. Pavlis, Evangelos. “The Ecomuseum as a Platform for Territorial Development: The Case of Greek Ecomuseums.” International Journal of Heritage Studies July, 2024. DOI:10.1080/13527258.2024.2386695. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/382706552_The_ecomuseum_as_a_platform_for_territorial_development_the_case_of_Greek_ecomuseums google scholar
41. Pavlis, Evangelos. “The Role of the Ecomuseum in Landscape Education and the Utilization of Local Knowledge.” Journal of Regional Socio-Economic Issues 15 (2) (2025): 82-92. google scholar
42. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev. “Order of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan on approval of 'Azerbaijan 2030: National Priorities for Socio-Economic Development',” February 2, 2021. Accessed February 14, 2024. https://president.az/az/articles/view/50474 google scholar
43. Protopapadakis, Evangelos. “Environmental Ethics and Linkola’s Ecofascism: An Ethics beyond Humanism.” Frontiers of Philosophy in China 9 (4) (2014): 586-601. google scholar
44. Riviere, Georges Henri. “Ecomuseums: an Evolutive Definition.” Museum International 148 (1985): 182-183. google scholar
45. Qebulol. “Azərbaycan Xəritəsi: Tarixdən Günümüzə.” September 6, 2024. Accessed January 12, 2026. https://qebulol.az/azerbaycan-xeritesi/ google scholar
46. Querrien, Max. “Taking the Measure of the Phenomenon.” Museum International 148 (1985): 198-199. google scholar
47. Semicheva, Marianna. “Muzey v Kontekste Qlobalnoy Industrii Turizma [Museum in the Context of the Global Tourism Industry].” Vestnik of Northern (Arctic) Federal University. Series “Humanitarian and Social Sciences” 2 (2010): 131-134. google scholar
48. Skansen. “This is Skansen.” Accessed October 22, 2024. https://www.skansen.se/en/about-skansen/ google scholar
49. Skyrda, Maryna, Kateryna Chuieva (Ukraine), Aleksei Boiko, Boris Stolyarov, Sophia Kudriavtseva, Evgeniy Lunyaev (Russia) and Alla Stashkevich (Belarus), Rol Muzeyev v Obrazovanii i Razvitii Kulturno-Poznavatelnoqo Turizma: Analiticheskaya Zapiska. [The Role of Museums in Education and Cultural Tourism Development]. Kyiv: ICOM. Ukranian National Committee, 2012. google scholar
50. Smikovich, Ludmila, Anna Maksimova and Valeriy Lushtick. “Zeleniye Marshruti i ikh Razrabotka s Primeneniyem QIS-Tekhnologiy na Primere Natsionalnoqo Parka “Narochanskiy” [Greenways and Their Development Using GIS Technologies on the Example of the Narochansky National Park].” BSPU Bulletin. Series 3, Physics. Mathematics. Biology. Geography 3 (2015): 37-41. google scholar
51. Smotrim. “8 Torqovikh Putey, Sformirovavshikh Mirovuyu Istoriyu [Eight Trade Routes That Shaped the World History].” 28 April 2018. Accessed January 12, 2026. https://smotrim.ru/article/1481443 google scholar
52. Tetior, Aleksandr. “Tendensii Urbanizasii Zemli [Earth's Urbanization Trends].” The Eurasian Union of Scientists (EUS) 9 (18) (2015): 11-15. google scholar
53. The Écomusée d'Alsace. “The Écomusée d'Alsace.” Accessed January 13, 2026. https://www.ecomusee.alsace/en/the-ecomusee-dalsace/exhibitions/ google scholar
54. The Millennium Project. “15 Global Challenges.” Accessed July 21, 2025. https://millennium-project.org/challenges-overview google scholar
55. Tom, Seymur. “Prinyato Novoye Opredeleniye Ponyatiya “Muzey” [A New Definition of the Concept of “Museum” has been Adopted].” The Art Newspaper Russia. Accessed October 16, 2024. https://www.theartnewspaper.ru/posts/20220826-jord/ google scholar
56. Volovchuk, Nataliya. “Qlobalniye Problemi XXI Veka – Vizov Obrazovaniyu [Global Problems of the 21st Century – a Challenge to Education].” Social and Humanitarian Technologies: Philosophical and Educational Aspects (Abstracts of the All-Ukrainian Scientific and Practical Conference with International Participation. May 29-30, 2014). Cherkasy: publisher FOP Gordienko E.I., 2014, 100-101. google scholar
57. Worldometer. "World Population Projections." Accessed March 7, 2024. https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/world-population-projections/ google scholar
58. Yureneva, Tamara. Muzeyevedeniye [Museology]. Moscow: Academic Project, 2003. google scholar