The Aral Sea’s crisis offers a vital roadmap for building climate resilience in the Caspian Sea, says Uzbek expert
The catastrophic trajectory of the Aral Sea serves as an essential comparative framework and warning indicator for addressing the accelerating environmental pressures facing the Caspian Sea.
Sea-news.az reports that Saida Safaeva, a representative of the Institute for Advanced International Studies (IAIS) under the University of World Economy and Diplomacy in Uzbekistan, made these points during panel discussions at Baku Climate Action Week.
Safaeva noted that while the Aral and Caspian basins are distinct geographical systems, they grapple with deeply intertwined structural vulnerabilities driven by climate change, including severe water resource mismanagement, accelerated evaporation rates, widespread ecosystem degradation, and heightened socio-economic sensitivity.
“Joint field research and scientific cooperation between Uzbek and Azerbaijani specialists can unlock deeper insights into the complex processes currently unfolding in the Caspian Sea,” Safaeva emphasized.
Highlighting regional mitigation efforts, she pointed out that targeted technical interventions applied in the Aral basin—such as segmenting water bodies to restore localized flows and deploying advanced water-efficiency technologies—have yielded measurable positive outcomes. Integrating these practical lessons into ongoing dialogues regarding the Caspian Sea can significantly strengthen long-term adaptation planning.
