The decline in the water level of the Caspian Sea is affecting the visual appearance of the Baku Boulevard area, with sections of land becoming exposed in some parts, Chairman of the Board of the Seaside Boulevard Administration Khanlar Aghalarov said in an extended interview with Report news agency and ARB TV.
According to him, the decline in the Caspian Sea's water level has been discussed from various perspectives in recent years.
"It is no longer a secret that the decline in the Caspian water level in recent years is a process that can also be observed along Baku Boulevard. In addition to its environmental consequences, this creates new challenges in several areas related to the infrastructure managed by the Seaside Boulevard Administration and the development of future plans. As the issue has evolved, the decline in water levels has primarily affected navigation, recreational vessels and the boulevard"s docking infrastructure," he said.
He noted that the retreat of the water is also affecting the visual appearance of the area.
"Historically, in the part of Baku Bay that falls within the boulevard's territory, the water level declined vertically due to the presence of a certain water depth. In recent years, however, certain areas have emerged where the water has retreated horizontally. Sections of land are now becoming exposed in some parts of the boulevard. This directly raises various issues related to shoreline management, landscape adaptation and integrating the newly exposed land areas into the overall landscape design of Baku Boulevard," Aghalarov said.
Aghalarov said the decline in water levels is also directly or indirectly affecting the ecological condition of Baku Bay.
"This issue also has an impact on average temperature indicators. Given the unique shape of Baku Bay, various phenomena are observed here related to the dynamics of incoming water flows, water movement, the balance of microorganisms and the growth of algal biomass. As is known, the current degree of shallowing at the present water level also affects cleaning operations in the area. In its plans for the future, the Boulevard Administration is adopting an approach focused not only on managing a stable shoreline, but also on developing and implementing various adaptive architectural solutions and adaptive infrastructure. These will be based on different scenarios for all ongoing and planned projects and will be designed to mitigate the consequences of fluctuations in water levels in advance," he added.