A research study titled “Political-Geographic Problems of Azerbaijan’s Caspian Coastal Regions” has been conducted at the Institute of Geography of the Ministry of Science and Education.
According to sea-news.az citing a statement to AZERTAG by Doctor of Geographical Sciences, Associate Professor Nariman Pashayev, that the main purpose of the study was to investigate the strategic role of the Caspian coastal regions in Azerbaijan’s economic development, energy security, and international transport-logistics system.
It was noted that, within the framework of the research, the Caspian coastal administrative territories—the cities of Baku and Sumgayıt, as well as the Siyəzən, Şabran, Xaçmaz, Neftçala, Salyan, Lənkəran, and Astara districts—were analyzed. The role these areas play in the country’s industrial, oil and gas, transport, and tourism potential was highlighted.
The study also addressed the specific challenges faced by each region and administrative district. For instance, high urbanization and ecological pressure in the Baku-Absheron zone, outdated industrial infrastructure in Sumgayıt, border security and smuggling issues in the northern districts, sea-level fluctuations and soil salinization in the Neftçala-Salyan areas, and climate risks and unemployment in the Lənkəran-Astara region were discussed.
Furthermore, information was provided on the legal status of the Caspian Sea, the significance of the Aktau Convention, and the delimitation issues that are still awaiting resolution.
Within the framework of energy geopolitics, security risks to strategic export routes such as the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan and the Southern Gas Corridor, the increasing militarization in the Caspian, and the measures implemented by Azerbaijan in the field of coastal protection were also interpreted.
The study focused on the transit potential of the Middle Corridor and the Port of Baku, as well as the demographic pressure caused by interregional imbalances.
In conclusion, the interests of the Caspian littoral states—Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Iran—were compared, and Azerbaijan’s position within this competitive environment was analyzed. Information was provided on strategic directions proposed for future sustainable development, including measures to be implemented in the fields of ecology, energy, logistics, and social policy.
