Why is the Caspian Sea shrinking?

The Caspian Sea, the world’s largest enclosed water body after the oceans, has experienced significant fluctuations in water level throughout history, experts say. Located at the eastern edge of Azerbaijan and spanning eight countries, the sea’s current level is 28 meters below global ocean level.

Dr. Rza Mahmudov, Doctor of Geographical Sciences and professor, told AZERTAC that the Caspian Sea covers a surface area of 370,000 km², accounting for 44% of the total area of the world’s lakes. Its volume varies between 3.1 and 3.5 million km³, while the basin stretches 2,500 km from north to south.

Historically, the sea’s level has fluctuated by up to 12 meters. The lowest recorded level in the 5th century reached −34.5 meters, while in 1882 the highest level was −25.2 meters. During geological periods, particularly 17,000–13,000 years ago, the sea level was approximately 80 meters higher than today.

According to Dr. Mahmudov, river inflows, especially from the Volga River, along with climate variations, are the primary drivers of these changes. At certain periods, the Volga’s discharge reached 450–500 cubic meters per year. Additional factors include cosmo-geophysical processes, geological shifts, human activity, and hydrometeorological conditions.

“These fluctuations directly impact the socio-economic life of the countries surrounding the Caspian, making their study a key focus for researchers,” Dr. Mahmudov added.

By Vugar Khalilov