Caspian Sea: State of the Environment 2019

6. Impact This chapter examines the impact of various fac- tors on the environment, namely, on health, the economy as a whole and certain sectors of the economy. 6.1. Impact on human health Climate has a significant impact on human health and well-being. As the climate changes, this im- pact could be direct (injury or death due to heat- stroke or natural disaster) or indirect, through the spread of diseases (mosquitoes, waterborne pathogens, water and air quality, availability and quality of food). Human health depends on the state of the environment, socioeconomic con- ditions and the effectiveness of organizational, managerial, technological and adaptation mea- sures to reduce the impact of climate change. Public health is inextricably linked to the state of the environment, and environmental pollution is leading to increased costs for both states and individuals. The Caspian region is one of the top three regions predicted to experience GDP loss- es as a result of air pollution, due to a combina- tion of high pollutant concentrations, an ageing population and relatively high health-care costs (World Health Organization [WHO] 2018). 6.2. Impact on the economy Overfishing in the Caspian region, as well as the illegal fishing, lead to a change in the structure of fish stocks and have a negative economic im- pact on the fishing industry. The Caspian littoral states are actively fighting illegal fishing. Azerbaijan amended its previous fisheries law in 2017 to ensure the sustainable development of aquaculture in rural areas while creating an alternative source of income and improving the well-being and health of the coastal population (National Contribution). Sea level fluctuations have been a constant fea- ture throughout the history of the Caspian Sea. Of course, when the level increased, grasslands were flooded or reduced in some places, and

when the level fell, spawning grounds were de- graded and so on. River regulation has also had a negative impact in that there was a sharp decline in the run-off of nutrients and mineral salts, es- pecially phosphates, without which the primary production of the sea and, in tandem, the food base cannot be significantly increased. Over the past decade, Eastern Turkmenistan has become one of the country’s industrial centres. Oil and gas facilities are located in the cities of Balkanabat, Hazar, Turkmenbashi, Garabogaz (formerly known as Bekdash) and Gumdag. A rise in sea level could flood the oil and gas pipe- lines that have been laid to and along the coast, and if they were to be destroyed, this would contaminate the soil in the coastal areas of Ha- zar and Ekerem. A potential rise in the sea level around the Hazar (formerly Cheleken) Peninsu- la in the middle of the Turkmenistan coastline would have the most serious impact. If the sea level were to increase by 5 m, part of the cur- rent Hazar Peninsula could be flooded turning the peninsula into an island separated from the mainland by a sea channel 2 km in width. A rise in the water level will negatively impact industry and infrastructure, including populated areas as well as the unique coastal biomes of Turkmeni- stan (Atamuradova 2012). 6.3. Fisheries The unity of the Caspian ecosystem is manifested in the presence of a common, connected system of currents, as well as a single network of migra- tion routes used by the most valuable commercial fish species that covers the entire Caspian. More- over, the life cycle of migratory and semi-mi- gratory fish relies on the connection between the Caspian Sea ecosystem and the coastal and river ecosystems of its basin. The Caspian Sea is characterized by a high degree of endemism, as well as significant fluctuations in the sea level and other features of the natural environment. These aspects have created and sustain the most important features of biological diversity in the Caspian Sea: high bioproductivity of individual areas and unique biological resources. As a result

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