The Caspian Sea’s shallowing could have catastrophic consequences - Ilham Aliyev

“One of the most serious problems facing the Caspian Sea is its shallowing. The decline in the Caspian Sea’s water level has been continuing for many years. Unfortunately, this process has accelerated considerably in recent times, and the situation continues to deteriorate. A significant reduction in the sea’s water area is being observed. The total surface area of the sea has already decreased by more than 20,000 square kilometres.”

TodayPress TV reports that President Ilham Aliyev made these remarks during an expanded session of the Caspian Environmental Summit in Turkmenbashi.

The head of state stressed that if the current trend continues, the consequences could be catastrophic. He noted that the problem of shallowing extends beyond environmental considerations.

“The decline in the sea level directly affects the interests of our countries, as well as people’s lives in coastal areas, the economy and transportation. We can see the coastline receding, the ecosystem changing, and problems emerging with ports and other coastal infrastructure. As a result of the decline in the Caspian Sea’s water level, approximately 30,000 hectares of land have emerged in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian alone,” the president said.