PRESS RELEASE: One and a Half Meters to Disaster: Save the Caspian Sea Movement Raises Alarm at Eco-Summit in Astana

PRESS RELEASE: One and a Half Meters to Disaster: Save the Caspian Sea Movement Raises Alarm at Eco-Summit in Astana

At the Regional Environmental Summit RES 2026 EXPO, which opened on April 22 in Astana, Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev called on the international community to unite efforts to save the Caspian Sea. The global movement Save the Caspian Sea, which has spent the past two years pushing for exactly this level of attention and is a partner of the summit, found itself among participants without an opportunity for an official speaking slot. Organizers canceled the session where the movement’s founder, Vadim Ni, had been scheduled to speak.

The global environmental movement Save the Caspian Sea is participating in the summit as an official RES2026 partner and contributed to shaping both the program and the forum’s declaration. This role reflects its sustained efforts over the past two years to systematically document the Caspian’s environmental degradation and elevate the issue at both local and international levels.

Despite the urgency of the situation, organizers canceled the panel discussion on the role of oil and gas companies in the Net Zero era—the only platform where Vadim Ni was expected to present. In addition, the movement’s documentary film The Stain was excluded from the RES2026 film festival without explanation or formal notification.

Notably, the oil and gas industry remains one of the primary sources of environmental pressure on the Caspian Sea, yet this critical issue was sidelined from the official agenda.

“Our main expectation from the summit is that it will produce decisions enabling established stakeholders to drive meaningful change, while empowering new actors to continue environmental action beyond the event,” said Vadim Ni, founder of Save the Caspian Sea.

In the absence of a speaking opportunity within the official program, the movement is actively presenting its position at the RES EXPO 2026 exhibition. Over three days, SCS will be broadcasting materials on LED screens that were left out of formal discussions: expedition photography from the Caspian, satellite documentation of oil spills, and evidence of shrinking water levels and wildlife loss. The stand also features real-time displays of public comments and images supporting Save the Caspian Sea.

The Caspian-focused exhibition stand has drawn significant attention, attracting numerous public figures and experts. Visitors include renowned Kazakh athlete Sergey Tsyrulnikov, eco-blogger Dina Ogay, Caspian Sea expert and professor of econometrics Nurlan Munbayev, director of Tebigi Kuvvat and representative of the Aarhus Center in Ashgabat Berkeli Ataev, among others. Their perspectives on the region’s key environmental challenges are available on Save the Caspian Sea’s Instagram pages.

Anyone concerned about the future of the sea is invited to join the #CaspianSavers initiative and share their views at RES2026 or on social media.

About the Movement

Save the Caspian Sea is a global environmental initiative founded in 2024. In just two years, it has developed a strategic framework, “10 Steps to Save the Caspian Sea,” and secured consideration of the issue by the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee under the United Nations—setting a precedent no regional civil society organization had previously achieved.