In recent years, the rapid decline in the Caspian Sea level is among the issues causing serious concern among the states of the region.
President Ilham Aliyev, in his recent speeches, including his statement to the “Kazinform” agency, assessed the problem of the decreasing Caspian Sea level as an issue of strategic importance.
It should be noted that there are many reasons for the decrease in water in the Caspian Sea. While climate change plays the most important role among these, the role of the Volga River in Russian territory is also very significant.
In a statement to Modern.az, Vugar Rahimzade, a member of the Milli Majlis Committee on Natural Resources, Energy and Ecology, stated that the Caspian Sea is facing serious ecological problems.
According to him, the sea level has dropped by more than one meter in recent years. This is not only our country's problem. Five Caspian littoral states can protect the Caspian by solving this problem.
“President Ilham Aliyev also touched upon this issue in his exclusive interview with “Kazinform”. The head of our state noted that today the Caspian Sea is facing a number of serious ecological problems. One of the most pressing issues is shallowing – the rapid decrease in water level, which creates both ecological and economic threats.
At the VI Caspian Summit held in 2022, I raised the issue of the disruption of ecological balance in the Caspian Sea. Unfortunately, since then, the situation has only worsened. The water level in the Caspian is rapidly decreasing, and the reasons for this are not solely related to climate change. In the current circumstances, it is very important to establish close cooperation among all Caspian littoral states, conduct active scientific information exchange, and develop coordinated measures to mitigate the consequences.
The decline in the Caspian Sea level and related ecological changes threaten biodiversity and ecosystem stability, which necessitates coordinated measures for nature conservation and the restoration of ecological balance. Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and other Caspian littoral states can actively promote Caspian protection initiatives on regional and international platforms. In the face of increasing transnational ecological risks, the Caspian Sea is not merely a p of water, but a symbol of shared responsibility and the necessity for joint action”.
The MP emphasized that Azerbaijan is interested in expanding cooperation to solve the ecological problems of the Caspian Sea:
“The decrease in the water level of the Caspian Sea is not a new phenomenon, but the process has accelerated in recent years. The construction of numerous hydrotechnical structures and the regulation of flow on the Volga River, the largest water source flowing into the Caspian Sea, have disrupted the natural cycle and reduced the water level. The construction of large reservoirs on the Volga negatively affects the Caspian Sea, disrupting its balance. If previously a certain balance was maintained for the Caspian's survival, this is no longer taken into account”.
Vugar Rahimzade finally added that improving the ecological situation of the Caspian Sea is one of the important issues for our state. According to the MP, joint efforts of the Caspian littoral states are necessary to halt the ecological threat.
