Caspian Sea: State of the Environment 2019

4.7. Marine litter The Protocol for the Protection of the Caspian Sea against Pollution from Land-Based Sources and Activities (Moscow Protocol 2012) seeks to “…prevent, control, reduce and to the maximum extent possible eliminate pollution of the marine environment from land-based sources and activ- ities in order to achieve and maintain an envi- ronmentally sound marine environment of the Caspian Sea.” The protocol covers categories of substances identified on the basis of their hazardous or oth- erwise harmful characteristics, including marine litter, which is defined as “any persistent, man- ufactured or processed solid material which is discarded, disposed of or abandoned.” In accordance with the Moscow Protocol, priori- ties for action should be established by assessing the relative importance of impacts on marine and coastal ecosystems and resources, and on public health. The sources of marine litter in the Caspian Sea are inadequate management of municipal waste, coastal tourism, improper disposal of hazardous waste, fishing and shipping. It should also be noted that fluctuations in sea level are an import- ant source of marine litter, most of which comes from land-based sources. Since the data available on marine debris are scarce, it is likely that the magnitude of the prob- lem is even greater than visual observation would suggest, and that sources such as illegal dumping from ships could be making a significant con- tribution to marine pollution (Caspian Envi- ronment Programme [CEP] 2009). Abandoned, lost or discarded fishing gear is also a significant source of pollution worldwide. Plastic accounts for the largest share of marine debris and is asso- ciated with land-based sources of pollution and the dumping of waste into the sea. The amount of marine litter produced by aqua- culture has not been estimated at the global level, but studies conducted in various locations show that such litter may be having a significant im- pact on ecosystems. Litter from aquaculture can

The coastal municipalities of the Republic of Dagestan generate 382,700 tons of municipal solid waste annually; in Astrakhan Oblast this figure is 76,300 tons and in the Republic of Kal- mykia – 6,700 tons. Only a small proportion of the production and consumer waste generated annually in the Cas- pian regions of the Russian Federation is neu- tralized and recycled: 75,400 tons (4.4 per cent of the total) and 44,800 tons (2.6 per cent of the total), respectively. Astrakhan Oblast neutral- izes and recycles the most waste, accounting for 100 per cent of neutralized waste and 57.6 per cent of recycled waste. The Republic of Kal- mykia does not neutralize or recycle any of its waste (hazardous waste falling in classes 1–3 is sent to other regions of the Russian Federation for neutralization). The main environmental problem relating to waste management in the Russian Federation is the use of landfill sites that do not meet the required standards or sites that are not intended for waste disposal. One of the reasons for this is the lack of specialist waste disposal facilities. Astrakhan Oblast has seven such facilities, in- cluding two in coastal areas; the Republic of Kalmykia and Republic of Dagestan each have one specialist landfill facility, one of which is lo- cated in a coastal area. The concern of the Caspian littoral states re- garding the problem of waste accumulation is reflected in the urgent measures that are being taken to address it. In the Russian Federation, there are plans to build one new specialist waste disposal facility in Astrakhan Oblast and another in the Repub- lic of Kalmykia in the near future, while four new landfill sites are planned for the Republic of Dagestan, all of which will be in coastal areas. Twenty-two waste sorting facilities are set to be built in Astrakhan Oblast and the Republic of Dagestan, split evenly across both regions. Eight of these will be in coastal areas (also equally spread across the two regions). There are also plans to create waste handling facilities in all administrative districts of the Republic of Kal- mykia (including one near the coast).

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