UN launches project to clean up Caspian Sea

The United Nations is preparing to launch a project aimed at tackling environmental problems in the Caspian Sea, the UN Resident Coordinator in Azerbaijan, Dmitry Shlapachenko, has said.

Speaking to local media, Shlapachenko said the “Blueing the Caspian Sea” project would be implemented by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS).

The project will focus on strengthening pollution monitoring, conserving biodiversity and developing regional environmental cooperation, he said.

It is also intended to help Azerbaijan and neighbouring countries build a stronger scientific and institutional basis for protecting the Caspian Sea.

“The main goal, of course, is to make the Caspian Sea cleaner,” Shlapachenko said.

The recruitment of international and national staff will begin soon, followed by the start of the project, he added.

The UN also has a similar project related to the Black Sea and has experience in the field,  Shlapachenko said.

He also highlighted the declining amount of water flowing into the Caspian Sea, most of which comes from the Volga River.

“According to our calculations, the volume of water flowing into the Caspian has decreased by 10–15 per cent in recent years,” he said.

By Aghakazim Guliyev