World Bank to approve grant for Caspian Sea cleanup project

The World Bank (WB) is set to approve a significant $12 million grant to fund the project “Caspian Sea Cleanup: Building Capacity for Pollution Management and Biodiversity Conservation,” aimed at addressing the pressing environmental challenges facing the Caspian Sea.

The approval is expected to take place on June 25, with Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan identified as the primary beneficiaries of this initiative, Caliber.Az reports citing local media.

The project, financed by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), will be implemented over five years under the leadership of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP). It focuses on four major components: national and regional policy and institutional development, pollution management, biodiversity conservation, and project management. Of the total funding, $4.9 million will be allocated to both pollution management and biodiversity management, while $1.6 million will go toward policy and institutional development, with the remaining $0.6 million dedicated to project management.

A critical goal of the project is to enhance pollution monitoring and control mechanisms, particularly in marine protected areas across the Caspian Sea. This unique body of water, the largest enclosed sea in the world, borders five countries—Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkmenistan—and contains around 44 per cent of the world’s inland waters.

The Caspian ecosystem is home to approximately 400 endemic species, benefitting from its long isolation from the world’s oceans. However, in recent decades, the sea has experienced a significant drop in water levels, a trend projected to worsen by 8-30 meters by 2100 due to climate change and the growing use of water resources.

The World Bank’s project seeks to address these concerns by promoting coordinated regional efforts, including the development of integrated coastal zone management plans (ICZM) and marine spatial planning (MSP). It will also focus on capacity building through training programs, exchange of expertise, and the signing of memorandums of understanding to foster greater regional cooperation.

A major element of the pollution management strategy involves creating an inventory of land-based pollution sources, analyzing pollution hotspots, and evaluating associated economic losses. The project will also establish national and regional pollution reduction programs, procure necessary environmental monitoring equipment, and launch public information campaigns. Additionally, it will support the development of environmentally friendly technologies and promote sustainable practices across the region.

Conservation efforts will focus on expanding the network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), formulating management plans for these areas, and supporting sustainable fisheries practices. The project will also prioritize the protection of endangered species, assess the economic losses from biodiversity loss, and raise public awareness about the importance of preserving the Caspian's unique environment.

The initiative will also involve the establishment of a Projects Coordination Unit (PCU) under the UNEP Tehran Convention Secretariat and the creation of a Regional Steering Committee and technical teams to oversee its implementation. This collaborative effort aligns with the World Bank’s regional strategies for Central Asia and contributes to Azerbaijan’s and Kazakhstan’s Country Partnership Framework (CPF) and Turkmenistan’s National Development Strategy.

With long-term objectives focused on ecological preservation, the project is poised to strengthen regional cooperation for effective natural resource management. Its implementation is expected to have a transformative impact on reducing pollution, improving environmental conditions, and safeguarding biodiversity for future generations in the Caspian region.

By Vafa Guliyeva