Caspian Sea: State of the Environment 2019

sions since 2008 due to the introduction of mod- ern technologies in the oil and gas industry. The following main production enterprises are located in the coastal zone of the Turkmenistan sector of the Caspian Sea: Turkmenbashi Com- plex of Oil Refineries, Turkmenbashi Central Heat and Power Plant, Garobogaz Sulfat in the town of Garabogaz, Turkmenbashi Non-metallic Construction Materials Plant, Kenar Oil Storage and Offloading Terminal, Balkanbalyk, a state- owned company in the city of Turkmenbashi, Hazar Chemical Plant in Hazar, Turkmenbashi International Seaport and Galkynyshknebit, an oil and gas production management company in Hazar. Transport is also contributing to air pollution. Greenhouse gas emissions from these sources have increased due to an expansion in the scale of activity (the commissioning of new equipment which adds new sources of pollution). Turkmenistan has installed and is making use of new compressor stations to recover previously flared gas to increase oil production. Any residu- al associated gas is now funnelled through pipe- lines to consumers instead of being released into the atmosphere (United Nations Development Programme [UNDP] Turkmenistan 2010). The country has also prioritized the replacement of old power stations with newer and more efficient facilities. These have the potential to lower green- house gas emissions by 67.5 million tons of CO 2 equivalent over the period 2010–2030 (UNDP Turkmenistan 2010). According to the State Statistical Committee, 3,353 enterprises and organizations, 11,248 vehi- cles and 62 means of water transport were exam- ined in 2017. Of these, 1,173 enterprises and or- ganizations, 1,626 vehicles and 16 means of water transport were found to have exceeded standards for pollutant discharge into water bodies and at- mospheric emissions (Turkmenstat 2018). 4.6. Solid waste The generation of industrial and municipal waste is closely linked to overall regional economic de- velopment. The Caspian littoral states produce huge amounts of industrial waste, some of which is associated with the oil and gas sector.

It should be borne in mind that if the coastal area is polluted with waste, this could become a source of sea pollution if the area floods due to strong waves or surges. The accumulation of litter in riverbeds, which is then washed out into the sea during flood- ing, constitutes another potential source of pollu- tion. Information on solid waste management in coastal areas is therefore important for assessing the anthropogenic load on the Caspian Sea. Landfill sites are a commonly used approach to solid waste management, but these offer limited opportunities for recycling valuable secondary materials. Landfill sites are often over-exploited, in poor technical condition and fail to comply with sanitary and epidemiological requirements; waste is not separated or recycled. Uncontrolled or unauthorized waste disposal is also a problem in the region, leading to the pollution of local land and marine ecosystems. The volume of waste generated varies across the region. While a reduction in the volume of waste generated has been observed in some countries, others are seeing an increase due to higher levels of consumption and increased urbanization as more people move to the cities. In Azerbaijan, for example, there has been an increase in the vol- ume of plastic, polymer materials and hazardous waste such as electronic and electrical waste. An incinerator and sorting plant has been serving the residents of Baku since 2012, turning house- hold waste into energy (Decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan 2012). With the help of the World Bank, Azerbaijan funded the reha- bilitation of the Balakhani landfill site, as well as the closure and remediation of 154 ha of illegal dumps. A hazardous waste landfill site was built near Sumgayit to manage hazardous waste in ac- cordance with international norms and standards. Appropriate measures have been taken to clean up the oil-polluted areas on the Absheron Peninsula, as well as in other parts of Azerbaijan. The Absheron Lakes Clean-up and Rehabilitation Project is being implemented as part of the State Programme for the Socioeconomic Development of the City of Baku and its Settlements. Part of Lake Boyukshor, the largest lake on the Absheron Pen- insula, has evolved from being an environmental-

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