Caspian Sea: State of the Environment 2019

Agriculture Although the agricultural sector experienced a declining share of gross domestic product (GDP) in the years leading to 2011, it has grown in recent years and is a significant source of pol- lution to the Caspian Sea. Poorly managed use of pesticides, fertilizers and untreated livestock waste not only pollute the Caspian Sea, but also contribute to its eutrophication (GRID-Arendal 2011). Information on agricultural impacts and trends are currently not satisfactory and need further attention. Climate change Climate change and its consequences, including changes in sea level, are having a significant neg- ative impact on the region’s environment, affect- ing different sectors of the countries’ economies, such as fisheries, transport and construction. The volume of greenhouse gas emissions is in- creasing in the Caspian littoral states, where en- ergy, industry, agriculture and waste are the main contributing sectors. The energy sector is the largest source of emissions, accounting for 75 per cent of total emissions in Azerbaijan (Azerbaijan 2018) and 90 per cent in Iran (Iran, Department of Environment 2003). In the Caspian Sea, increases in the water tem- perature and air temperature over the water are of great importance. There is a high probabili- ty that during this century, temperatures in the Caspian littoral states will continue to increase on average (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [IPCC] 2013). It should be noted that average air temperature increases for the last 50-year and 10-year peri- ods show a slight decrease, and are negative for the 2012–2016 five-year period. This indicates that the warming of the Caspian Sea climate has slowed in recent years (Coordinating Committee on Hydrometeorology and Pollution Monitoring of the Caspian Sea (CASPCOM, 2017)). As a closed water body, the Caspian Sea has sig- nificant sea level fluctuations. While such fluctu- ations are normal in this sea, global warming has

example of this is the volume of oil and gas ex- ported in Iran. It is at least 45 percent of the total revenue of its export. Every country in the region plans either to explore potential oilfields or begin oil and gas production both in the Caspian Sea and in coastal areas in the near future. The increase in oil and gas production and the transportation of these products raise concerns about potential environmental risks. The Cas- pian Sea has previously been contaminated by the oil and gas industry, which is causing its further deterioration through activities such as drilling, rig maintenance, oil transportation and technological oil and gas leakages. Processing, in addition to accidental spills, transportation and other industries’ activities also increase the burden on the environment through water and air pollution. Comparing the main indicators for seawater con- tamination in areas with oil and gas projects has shown an increase in the concentration of pol- lutants. Fisheries Poaching remains one of the factors that are negatively impacting the Caspian littoral states’ economies, despite their implementation of var- ious measures. While fisheries provide employ- ment for local populations and are an important supplier of food, their gross value in the Caspian Sea has been declining due to reduced valuable resources, which is affecting the stability of total catches (Strukova et al. 2016). Compared with 2011, total fish catches have decreased markedly in all countries, except the Russian Federation, where they increased by 11 per cent in the same period. Overall, the total volume of fish caught in the Caspian Sea is stable due to the diversi- fication of the fish species caught (Strukova et al. 2016). Although there is still no consensus on the pos- sible consequences of widespread aquaculture activities, this sector is actively developing and becoming increasingly important in the Caspian Sea basin (Salmonov et al. 2013). However, the contribution of fish farms to the volume of fish produced remains small in all countries.

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