A decrease in the Caspian Sea level by 1.5 meters below the current level (-28.5 mBS) may lead to a number of retreats and other serious environmental problems in the coastal areas of Nabran-Shabran, on the territory of the Absheron Peninsula, in the southwestern region and the Baku Bay, the head of the Department of Geomorphology of the Coast and Bottom of the Caspian Sea of the Institute of Geography named after Academician H.A. Aliyev Amir Aliyev said at a meeting of the Presidium of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS), Report informs.
The scientist noted that over the past 100 years, the level of the Caspian Sea has changed sharply three times, as a result of which about 50,000 hectares of land in the coastal zone of Azerbaijan with a length of about 850 km were flooded. Amir Aliyev noted that the level of the Caspian Sea dropped by 2 meters in 1996-2023, and this process is still ongoing.
He added that during the specified period, 38,000 hectares of land came out from under the sea waters in the coastal zone of Azerbaijan.
The scientist emphasized that the sharp rise in the level in 1978-1995 caused significant damage to the industrial and agricultural infrastructure in the coastal zone.