Key facts
- A regional legal framework for monitoring the Caspian Sea could be established by the end of the year.
- The Caspian Sea's water level has dropped by approximately 2.5 meters over the last 30 years.
- The sea is currently shrinking at a rate of 20-30 centimeters per year.
- Key causes include climate change, reduced rainfall, and increased evaporation.
- Ports, fisheries, tourism, and offshore infrastructure are vulnerable to the shrinking sea.
A senior Azerbaijani water official has proposed the establishment of a regional legal framework by the end of this year to address the accelerated shrinking of the Caspian Sea. Aliagha Azizov, deputy head of the State Control Service for Water Use and Protection at Azerbaijan's State Water Resources Agency, stated that the world's largest inland body of water has fallen by approximately 2.5 meters over the past 30 years, with current retreat rates reaching 20-30 centimeters annually.
Azizov attributed the phenomenon primarily to climate change, lower rainfall across the sea basin, increased evaporation due to rising temperatures, and reduced river flows. He noted that this rapid decline poses significant vulnerabilities to ports, shipping, fisheries, coastal tourism, and offshore oil and gas infrastructure. While the five surrounding countries are cooperating on environmental protection, a fully functioning regional monitoring system is currently lacking.
The proposed framework aims to strengthen cooperation through enhanced monitoring, data exchange, joint scientific research, forecasting, and adaptation measures. Azizov indicated that this legal structure could be finalized within the current year.