The rapid decline in the Caspian Sea's water level is affecting port operations and oil supplies and threatening populations of sturgeon and seals with catastrophic consequences, Azerbaijani authorities warned, quoted by Reuters, BTA reports.
The Caspian Sea, which is practically the largest saltwater lake in the world, has significant offshore oil reserves, and is surrounded by five countries that are major producers of oil, gas or both - Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia and Turkmenistan.
The Caspian Sea has been getting shallower for decades, but data shows the trend is accelerating, said Azerbaijan's Deputy Minister of Ecology Rauf Hajiyev. Sea levels have dropped by 0.93 meters in the past five years, by 1.5 meters in the past 10 years and by 2.5 meters in the past 30 years, said Hadjiyev, estimating the current rate of decline at 20-30 centimeters per year.
"The retreat of the coastline is changing natural conditions, disrupting economic activity and creating new challenges for sustainable development," said Hadjiyev, who represents Azerbaijan in a joint working group with Russia that met for the first time in April to discuss the problem. Despite deteriorating relations between the two countries, according to a protocol signed between them, the working group plans to approve a joint program in September to monitor and respond to the problem.
Moscow attributes the shrinking Caspian Sea mainly to climate change, but Azerbaijan also blames Russia for building dams along the Volga River, which provides 80 percent of the water flowing into the Caspian Sea.
According to Khajiyev, the drop in water levels is already affecting the lives of coastal populations and the operation of ports. About 4 million people live along the Azerbaijani coast, and about 15 million in the Caspian region as a whole. According to the deputy minister, ships are facing increasing difficulties in entering and maneuvering in the port of the Azerbaijani capital, Baku. This reduces cargo capacity and increases logistics costs, he added.
Decrease in oil shipments
Transportation of oil and oil products through the Dubendi terminal, the largest oil terminal in Azerbaijani waters on the Caspian Sea, has decreased to 810,000 tons in the first half of 2025, compared to 880,000 tons in the same period last year, according to Eldar Salakhov, director of the Baku International Sea Port.
He linked the decline to the lowering of sea levels, which he said necessitated large-scale dredging activities to ensure stable and uninterrupted operation of the port. In 2024, more than 250,000 cubic meters were dredged at the Dubendi oil terminal to ensure that the largest tankers can enter without restrictions, he told Reuters.
Threat to fish and seal populations
The retreating waters are destroying wetlands, lagoons and reed beds and threatening the survival of some marine species, Khadzhiev said. The biggest threat is to sturgeon, a fish valued for its eggs that is already threatened with extinction. It is losing up to 45 percent of its summer and autumn habitat and is being cut off from its traditional breeding grounds in rivers.
Caspian seals are also threatened by shrinking sea area and the disappearance of seasonal ice fields in the north where they breed, he added. "When sea levels drop by 5 meters, seals lose up to 81 percent of their breeding grounds, and when they drop by 10 meters, they are left almost completely deprived of suitable places," said Hadzhiev.