Caspian Sea shoaling to be key focus at COP29 Says Azerbaijan’s Deputy Environment Minister

One of the central topics at the upcoming 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) in Baku will be the issue of Caspian Sea shoaling.

Deputy Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Vugar Kerimov shared this information with journalists at the “Caspian Festival” held in Absheron National Park, part of “Caspian Week” in celebration of World Oceans Day, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

“The main theme of the event will be climate finance, with one panel discussion specifically addressing challenges related to the Caspian Sea. Participants will explore necessary measures to adapt to the inevitable decline in sea levels,” Kerimov explained.

He highlighted that the Caspian Sea level has dropped by 2.5 meters over the past 20 years. “Active discussions are taking place on various platforms, and Azerbaijan is fully engaged in these conversations, having experienced the impacts of this issue firsthand.”

Kerimov also pointed out that Azerbaijan's water resources have decreased by over 15% in the last 30 years. “Forecasts are concerning; according to the most optimistic projections, we could see an additional decrease of 15-20% in our water resources by 2050,” he added.

COP29 will take place in Azerbaijan this November, a decision made during the COP28 plenary session in Dubai on December 11, 2023. Over two weeks, Baku is expected to host around 70,000 to 80,000 international attendees.

The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), established at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992, aims to prevent harmful human interference with the climate system. The term COP stands for "Conference of the Parties," which is the principal decision-making body overseeing the implementation of the UNFCCC, consisting of 198 member states. COP meetings are typically held annually, with the first event occurring in Berlin in March 1995; the secretariat is based in Bonn.

By Tamilla Hasanova