Caspian Sea: State of the Environment 2019

10. Measures The Tehran Convention obliges Parties to engage in bilateral and multilateral cooperation on virtu- ally the full range of environmental problems in the Caspian Sea, including the development of proto- cols that prescribe additional measures, procedures and standards for implementing the Convention. In accordance with their obligations under the Tehran Convention, the Caspian littoral states, independently or jointly, take all measures nec- essary to prevent, reduce and monitor pollution in the Caspian Sea, and to protect, preserve and restore its marine environment. They use the resources of the Caspian Sea in such a way that they do not damage its marine environment and they cooperate with each other and with compe- tent international organizations to achieve the convention’s goal. The unique Caspian ecosystem can only be suc- cessfully preserved through effective cooperation under the Tehran Convention, the introduction of modern economic mechanisms that minimize anthropogenic pollution and other adverse im- pacts on the marine environment and the estab- lishment of a common Caspian system of spe- cially protected land and marine areas. To ensure the sustainable development of the Caspian Sea region, there needs to be a shift to- wards integrated regional and economic devel- opment planning which takes account of chang- ing natural conditions, including climate change. It is necessary to determine the environmen- tal risks associated with economic activities in coastal marine areas, and to regulate any other activities that may harm or impact species, or en- danger the conservation of ecosystems. Measures proposed by Azerbaijan Azerbaijan proposes to: • Intensify cooperation to create a unified sys- tem of assessment criteria and standards for the Caspian Sea as a closed water basin, draw- ing on existing standards and limits common- ly applied to special bodies of water

• Rehabilitate land contaminated by oil and oil products • Reduce the discharge of untreated sewage into the sea • Develop green agriculture • Strengthen cooperation in the protection and sustainable use of aquatic bioresources • Strengthen regional cooperation in the mon- itoring and management of marine litter, es- pecially where it is contaminated with plastics and microplastics Measures proposed by Iran • Develop national and provincial territorial ac- tion plans • Develop at least 54 rural business clusters, build and commission 98 rural industrial ar- eas and create 1.914 million jobs in villages and nomadic areas through the construction and development of competitive and ex- port-oriented enterprises in the private sector • Identify villages exposed to the risk of natural disasters, develop and implement actions in col- laboration with the responsible authorities and engage the population and local authorities, so that at least one third (30 per cent) of villages are protected from the risk of natural disasters • Develop a feasibility study for solid waste col- lection systems in rural areas • In conjunction with the private sector, devel- op and build sewage treatment plants in prior- ity villages located near rivers, wetlands, dams and villages that experience difficulties with wastewater disposal • Develop green agriculture • Convert 500,000 ha of land with large slopes into gardens • Ensure optimal use of pesticides, plant pro- tection products and chemical fertilizers, and wider use of organic fertilizers (compost) and biofuels; establish rules for the use of fertiliz- ers and chemicals • Produce healthy, organic products, introduce national standards for the quality control of agricultural products, expand integrated pest and plant disease control, make optimal use of materials, including chemicals and fertilizers,

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