The Caspian Sea is not merely a unique body of water connecting five littoral states—Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkmenistan—but a geostrategic realm defining the region’s environmental, economic, and social future. Rapidly declining water levels, receding shorelines, and rising threats to biodiversity have made the sea’s preservation an urgent priority. The Caspian Ecological Summit held in the Avaza National Tourist Zone (Turkmenistan) and the participation of President Ilham Aliyev demonstrate Azerbaijan’s commitment to safeguarding the Caspian basin.
Sea-news.az reports that the disruption of the Caspian’s water balance is driven by both natural cycles (river inflows, precipitation, evaporation) and climate change alongside human activities.
Key Challenges and Impacts:
- Ecological Spectrum: Degrades coastal ecosystems, destroys shallow wetlands, and shrinks critical habitats for endemic marine species and migratory birds.
- Economic & Transport Infrastructure: Complicates operations at ports, navigation channels, and industrial facilities, posing operational risks to the Middle Corridor and regional transit.
Regional Legal Frameworks & Azerbaijan’s Strategic Initiatives:
- Tehran Convention to Executive Decisions: The Tehran Convention, signed in 2003 and enforced in 2006, serves as the foundational legal framework. The Avaza Summit elevates these efforts to the head-of-state level to formulate actionable long-term strategies.
- Bilateral Joint Working Groups:
- With Kazakhstan: On April 24, 2026, the Azerbaijan-Kazakhstan Working Group held its inaugural session in Astana to investigate climatic and anthropogenic drivers of water level decline.
- With Russia: In May 2025, a joint action program on Caspian sea level fluctuations was formally drafted in Saint Petersburg.
- National Priorities: President Ilham Aliyev highlighted in his 2026 World Environment Day address and 2024 interview with Euronews that the Caspian approaching its historical minimum level over the past two centuries requires immediate action, underscoring green growth as a core national priority through 2030.
