The challenges faced by the Caspian Sea can provide experience not only for a specific region but also for other inland water bodies sensitive to climate change, Rauf Hajiyev, Azerbaijani Deputy Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources, said during the panel session at Baku Climate Action Week 2026 (BCAW 2026), Report informs.
According to him, climate change has serious impacts on water resources, biodiversity, and public welfare, requiring urgent responses.
"The continuous decline in the Caspian's water level over recent decades is no longer just a subject of future projections, but a reality we observe today. The retreat of the shoreline, changes in coastal zones, shrinking ecosystems and habitats, and risks for valuable species such as the Caspian seal and sturgeon are ecological consequences of this process," Hajiyev noted.
The deputy minister added that the effects of these changes are not limited to the environment: "The shallowing of the Caspian can seriously affect the lives of coastal communities, cities, infrastructure, transport, port operations, and overall coastal economic activity. This, in turn, makes it necessary to reassess future investment and development plans with climate risks in mind."
Hajiyev emphasized the complexity of the process, noting that its causes and consequences are not confined to national borders:
"Alongside climate change, anthropogenic factors also intensify existing risks. Therefore, an effective approach to the Caspian's future cannot be limited to steps taken at the national level. The Caspian is a shared water body, and its protection, ensuring ecological sustainability, and adapting to emerging challenges require joint efforts by all Caspian littoral states. In this regard, more effective integration of scientific research results into policy and decision‑making processes, clearer assessment of water level changes and possible future scenarios, and identification of practical adaptation measures under different scenarios, as well as expanding opportunities for their implementation at the local level, are of particular importance."