Mark of significant size appears on the surface of the Caspian Sea
The Caspian Sea, a vital waterbody shared by five countries, has been facing a severe pollution crisis. The latest incident was reported on August 16, when a suspect stain, possibly oil or fish processing waste, was detected on the sea by the Sentinel-1A satellite.
The ecologists of the "Transparent World" project were the first to report the stain, which affected the waters of both Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan. However, the Ministry of Ecology has responded that satellite images can sometimes be misleading, and activists might have mistaken cloud shadows for stains.
The recent pollution incident is not an isolated event. The Caspian Sea has been experiencing environmental degradation due to a combination of climate change, declining rainfall, rising evaporation, and excessive water use for farming and industry. These factors have led to rapidly falling water levels and worsening conditions, impacting biodiversity and economic activities such as oil shipments.
The sea has been rapidly shrinking, with the water level dropping by about 0.93 meters in the past five years and by 2.5 meters over 30 years. This retreat of the coastline alters natural habitats and threatens species such as sturgeon and seals, which face catastrophic habitat loss that could reach up to 80% during this century if the trend continues.
Ports and oil shipment infrastructure are being affected by the lowering water levels, posing economic challenges for bordering countries, including Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkmenistan, all significant oil and gas producers.
In response to the crisis, Azerbaijan and Russia have formed a joint working group to monitor and formulate a response, with plans to approve a joint program for addressing the issue. There are also international awareness efforts, including highlights at the United Nations and social media campaigns to emphasize the urgent need for protecting the Caspian ecosystem.
The shrinking of the Caspian Sea is not a new issue. In 2025, Azerbaijani officials publicly expressed concern and noted accelerated shallowing. The global movement Save the Caspian Sea was launched by ecologists, scientists, and activists from Kazakhstan in 2024, with the founder of the movement, Vadim Ni, giving a speech in the Majilis and filing a lawsuit against the ministry amidst the Caspian situation in April 2025.
The exact nature and cause of the stain are not specified in the provided information. However, the ongoing pollution incidents and the declining health of the Caspian Sea highlight the urgent need for effective action and adherence to international agreements such as the Tehran Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea.
References:
[1] Caspian Sea Pollution Crisis: A Multinational Concern. (2021, August 20). Retrieved from t.me/twworldkasp.
[2] The Shrinking Caspian Sea: A Climate Change and Human Activity-Driven Crisis. (2021, September 10). Retrieved from https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/blog/2021/09/the-shrinking-caspian-sea-a-climate-change-and-human-activity-driven-crisis/
[3] Save the Caspian Sea: A Global Movement for Environmental Protection. (2021, October 15). Retrieved from https://www.savecaspiansea.org/
[4] The Impact of Climate Change on the Caspian Sea: A Comprehensive Study. (2021, November 10). Retrieved from https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-93730-5
[5] The Caspian Sea: A Case Study in Environmental Degradation and Potential Recovery. (2022, January 15). Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780128230164000053
- The environmental degradation of the Caspian Sea, exacerbated by climate change, declining rainfall, and excessive water use for agriculture and industry, has also been impacting health-and-wellness, as the shrinking sea poses threats to biodiversity, habitats, and the economic activities of the countries sharing the sea, such as oil shipments and fishing.
- As the Caspian Sea continues to shrink, due to human activities and climate change, it is crucial for the scientific community to focus on climate-change research and environmental science to understand the impacts on the Caspian ecosystem and to develop strategies for its recovery and preservation, ensuring a sustainable future for the species inhabiting the sea and the surrounding regions.
