COP29: Caspian states adopt declaration on enhanced cooperation to address Caspian Sea water decline

During the COP29 climate conference in Baku, the ministers and senior officials of Caspian states adopted a key declaration, aimed at enhancing cooperation to address the decline in the Caspian Sea's water levels.

The "Declaration of Ministers and Senior Officials of the Caspian States on Strengthening Cooperation in Light of the Caspian Sea Water Decline" was the result of discussions held under the theme "Caspian Sea Water Decline in Light of Climate Change," Caliber.Az reports, citing local media.

The meeting, organized jointly by the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan and the Secretariat of the Framework Convention for the Protection of the Caspian Sea, gathered key stakeholders from the region and beyond.

Notably, Inger Andersen, the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), along with representatives from the World Bank, the Green Climate Fund, and other international organizations, participated in the discussions, which were held in Azerbaijan’s pavilion at COP29.

The declaration reflects the commitment of the Caspian states to collaborate more closely in addressing the challenges posed by the changing climate and its impact on the Caspian Sea, a vital body of water for the region.

Recent data indicates that the Caspian Sea is experiencing a significant decline in water levels, with some regions seeing a drop of up to 7 centimetres per year since 2022. Since 1995, Azerbaijan alone has witnessed a decrease of approximately 1.7 metres in the Caspian's water levels. This decline is primarily due to several factors: higher temperatures leading to increased evaporation, reduced rainfall, and lower river inflows, particularly from the Volga River in Russia, which has been further impacted by climate change.

The receding water levels are causing serious ecological and economic challenges, such as the loss of biodiversity and the shrinking of coastlines, which impacts local livelihoods, including fisheries and tourism. This phenomenon is particularly alarming as global sea levels are rising due to climate change, but the Caspian, being an enclosed inland body of water, is facing an opposite trend.

Countries around the Caspian are engaging in discussions, particularly in the context of the COP29 summit in Baku, to address these urgent environmental concerns and find collaborative solutions​.

By Khagan Isayev