The Caspian Sea’s retreat discussed at COP31

An event titled “A Retreating Sea: Climate, Nature and People in the Caspian Region” was organised as part of the 31st session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP31), in partnership with the IDEA Public Union and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

TodayPress TV reports that, speaking at the opening of the event, Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and founder and head of the IDEA Public Union, Leyla Aliyeva, noted that the decline in the Caspian Sea’s water level threatens the survival of rare species living in the region, including sturgeon and Caspian seals. She stressed the importance of expanding scientific research, international cooperation and joint efforts to address the sea’s environmental problems.

Referring to projects implemented by the IDEA Public Union in this field, Leyla Aliyeva said that scientific expeditions had been organised to investigate the causes of the decline in the Caspian seal population, while various species of juvenile fish had been released into water bodies to help restore fish stocks.

Leyla Aliyeva also spoke about IDEA’s initiatives to clean up the Caspian coastline. It was noted that nearly 7,000 volunteers have taken part in coastal clean-up campaigns organised since 2011, with more than 120 tonnes of waste collected and sent for recycling. Emphasising that the future of the Caspian Sea depends on the decisions made today, she called for its rich natural environment to be protected for future generations.

The opening session also featured speeches by Stewart Maginnis, Deputy Director General of the IUCN, and Dario Liguti, Director of the Sustainable Energy Division at the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).

The subsequent panel discussions brought together Elnur Safarov, an expert on Caspian research at the IDEA Public Union; Simon Goodman, a representative of the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom; Michael Fishbach, founder and executive director of the Great Whale Conservancy; and Alexander Hejazi, a representative of the University of Geneva and chair of the Caspisnet network.

During the discussions, participants exchanged views on climate factors contributing to the decline in the Caspian Sea’s water level, biodiversity conservation, the adaptation of marine ecosystems to changing conditions, and strengthening regional cooperation.

The event also featured a screening of a short documentary produced by the IDEA Public Union on the current environmental state of the Caspian Sea.