As part of the international event dedicated to World Environment Day (WED), hosted by Azerbaijan, a panel session titled “The Caspian Sea at a Crossroads: Science-Policy Dialogue on Sea Level Decline and Regional Action” was held, APA reports.
Deputy Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Rauf Hajiyev, speaking at the event, said that the decline in the Caspian Sea’s water level is a matter of serious concern. He stressed the importance of strengthening scientific research, observations and data exchange, as well as expanding cooperation among the Caspian littoral states.
Experts noted in their speeches that the main causes of the decline in the Caspian Sea’s water level are reduced river inflow, rising temperatures and increased evaporation. It was stated that a continuous decline in sea level has been observed since 1995.
Simon Goodman, a representative of the University of Leeds, said that even under the most optimistic scenario, the Caspian Sea level could fall by 5–8 meters, which could lead to significant losses in important ecosystems and ecologically significant areas.
Robb Butler, the World Health Organization’s Special Representative for Climate and Health, noted that there is insufficient data on the impact of the declining sea level on human health and said that assessment efforts in this area have been launched in Azerbaijan.
Representatives of Russia and Azerbaijan emphasized the importance of studying the causes of changes in the Caspian Sea’s water level, as well as improving monitoring and data systems.
The panel session continued with discussions.
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