Azerbaijani MP calls for extra funding to prevent Caspian Sea ecological crisis

A senior Azerbaijani lawmaker has urged the government to allocate additional funds in next year’s state budget to address the worsening environmental situation in the Caspian Sea.

Sadig Gurbanov, chairman of the parliamentary committee on natural resources, energy and ecology, made the appeal during budget hearings for 2026 in the Milli Majlis (Parliament), Caliber.Az reports, citing local media.

Gurbanov warned that the Caspian Sea’s water level has dropped by nearly two metres, posing serious risks to the region’s ecological security.

“To prevent a potential disaster, financial resources are needed for environmental protection measures — such as collecting rainwater, treating wastewater, and modernising water-use infrastructure,” he said.

He added that increasing environmental spending in the 2026 budget and ensuring its effective use would be essential to tackling long-standing ecological challenges in and around the Caspian basin.

By Aghakazim Guliyev