Climate change threatens the Caspian Sea: urgent need for action!

Climate change threatens the Caspian Sea: urgent need for action!

The Caspian Sea, the largest inland lake in the world, is facing a dramatic crisis situation. An international study in which the Justus Liebig University of Giessen (JLU) is involved shows that the water level of the Caspian Sea is falling drastically due to climate change. Even with global warming below two degrees, water levels could decline by five to ten meters by 2100. At higher temperatures there is a risk of a drop of up to 21 meters. The researchers' analysis includes that these dangerous developments would have serious consequences for the environment, people and the economy in the neighboring countries.

A worrying finding of the study is that if water levels drop by ten meters, around 112,000 square kilometers of seabed could dry out, an area larger than Iceland. This is particularly alarming as the habitat for endangered species such as the Caspian seal and various species of sturgeon is threatened. The decline in water levels could affect seal breeding areas and threaten sturgeon spawning grounds.

Ecological and economic threats

The drastic ecological changes in and around the Caspian Sea could cause four out of ten unique habitat types to disappear completely. The area of ​​marine protected areas could shrink by up to 94%, which would have catastrophic consequences for already endangered species. Around 15 million people in the neighboring states of Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia and Turkmenistan depend on the sea. Falling water levels could also cause economic dislocation, with major industries such as fishing and offshore oil production threatened.

In addition, the contamination of the exposed seabed by pollutants from oil production is a secret. Such contamination poses health risks for local residents. The years of exploitation of natural resources, especially oil and gas, have led to industrial pollution and the destruction of numerous habitats. These circumstances make it necessary for the neighboring states to revise their legal framework and control environmental pollution more strictly.

Urgent need for action

The researchers are calling for urgent measures to reduce the impact on people and nature. This includes establishing protected areas with flexible boundaries and investing in biodiversity monitoring. Joint action by the governments of the neighboring countries is essential. International organizations and civil society must also be integrated into finding solutions. Protecting the Caspian Sea represents a regional challenge with global consequences.

The “Save the Caspian Sea” movement aims to draw attention to the crisis situation and calls for joint action by all actors. The need for a dynamic protection concept instead of classic protected areas with fixed boundaries in order to avoid possible conflicts between nature conservation and infrastructure development is becoming increasingly urgent. Preserving the Caspian Sea requires courage, cooperation and committed action across the region.

In summary, the dramatic decline in water levels in the Caspian Sea will have not only ecological but also serious economic and social impacts if effective countermeasures are not taken. Time is running out and decisive action is required to avert the threats to nature and people uni-giessen.de, nordisch.info and yourporter.co report.