Prof. Stara A. Tarikhazer is a distinguished Azerbaijani geographer specializing in geomorphology, ecogeomorphology, natural hazards, and mountain environments. She is a Doctor of Geographical Sciences and Associate Professor at the Institute of Geography under the Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan, where she currently heads the Laboratory of Geomorphology and Paleogeography.
Her research focuses particularly on the Greater and Lesser Caucasus, examining the interaction between mountain landscapes, geomorphological processes, environmental change, and human activities. A major strand of her work concerns natural hazards—including landslides and mudflows—and the assessment and mapping of environmental risks using field research, GIS, remote sensing, and satellite imagery.
Prof. Tarikhazer's work is especially significant for understanding the Caucasus as a dynamic mountain region, where tectonic and geomorphological processes interact with climate change, land use, settlement, infrastructure, and tourism development. Her research therefore connects physical geography with practical questions of environmental management, disaster-risk reduction, and sustainable regional development.
She has published extensively on the geomorphology and environmental risks of Azerbaijan and the Caucasus and has also contributed to geographical education, including a Russian-language textbook on General Geography.
Through her long-standing research on mountain environments and natural hazards, Prof. Tarikhazer represents an important voice in contemporary Azerbaijani geography and provides a valuable geographical perspective on the rapidly changing landscapes of the Caucasus.
