PRESS RELEASE
Kazakh Parliament Member Demands Environmental Audit of the Caspian Sea
ASTANA — Member of the Mazhilis (Parliament) of the Republic of Kazakhstan from the "Amanat" party, Mr Sergey Ponomaryov, has issued an official request to Prime Minister Mr Olzhas Bektenov, demanding an international environmental audit of all oil projects in the Caspian Sea. He insists on an objective assessment of the environmental impact of oil companies' activities on the Caspian region and calls for concrete measures to minimize environmental damage.
Mr Ponomaryov has also demanded the disclosure of environmental standards in the Production Sharing Agreements (PSAs), despite their confidential nature. He emphasized that the high public interest in the region’s environmental safety necessitates such transparency.
"The Caspian Sea is currently facing serious environmental challenges caused by the activities of large oil companies… From 2005 to 2023, the sea level dropped by 185 cm. The sea’s surface area decreased by more than 31,000 square kilometers, which is comparable to the size of Belgium. The average rate of decline is 10 cm per year, and in some years, it reaches up to 25 cm,” said Sergey Ponomaryov.
The Parliament Member cited data from remote sensing, according to which the area of the Kazakh sector of the Caspian Sea has decreased by 7% from 2008 to 2023. The most significant shallowing is observed in the Atyrau region. At this rate, the Northern Caspian could disappear within 75 years.
According to him, numerous cases of environmental violations and emergencies of varying severity by companies have been reported in the press and official sources. However, these companies show indifference to the environment, public health, and, in general, the fate of the Caspian Sea.
"Companies not only ignore environmental regulations but also shift financial responsibility onto the state, challenging fines or compensating them through other payments," he added.
Amid the escalating environmental crisis, he proposed a set of measures to strengthen environmental control over the activities of oil companies, including:
The "Save the Caspian Sea" movement supports Parliament Member Mr Sergey Ponomaryov's initiatives and joins the call for an international environmental audit of oil projects. The movement's founders emphasize that the crisis of the Caspian Sea ecosystem requires urgent and decisive state actions, and they hope for a positive response from oil companies.
It is important to note that Mr Ponomaryov participated in the international conference "You.Sea.Problem" in February of this year, where representatives of the public, experts, and environmentalists discussed current issues of preserving the Caspian and developing measures to protect its ecosystem. The "Save the Caspian Sea" movement believes that strengthening public oversight and international cooperation on this issue is key to preventing an ecological disaster.
Kazakh Parliament Member Demands Environmental Audit of the Caspian Sea
ASTANA — Member of the Mazhilis (Parliament) of the Republic of Kazakhstan from the "Amanat" party, Mr Sergey Ponomaryov, has issued an official request to Prime Minister Mr Olzhas Bektenov, demanding an international environmental audit of all oil projects in the Caspian Sea. He insists on an objective assessment of the environmental impact of oil companies' activities on the Caspian region and calls for concrete measures to minimize environmental damage.
Mr Ponomaryov has also demanded the disclosure of environmental standards in the Production Sharing Agreements (PSAs), despite their confidential nature. He emphasized that the high public interest in the region’s environmental safety necessitates such transparency.
"The Caspian Sea is currently facing serious environmental challenges caused by the activities of large oil companies… From 2005 to 2023, the sea level dropped by 185 cm. The sea’s surface area decreased by more than 31,000 square kilometers, which is comparable to the size of Belgium. The average rate of decline is 10 cm per year, and in some years, it reaches up to 25 cm,” said Sergey Ponomaryov.
The Parliament Member cited data from remote sensing, according to which the area of the Kazakh sector of the Caspian Sea has decreased by 7% from 2008 to 2023. The most significant shallowing is observed in the Atyrau region. At this rate, the Northern Caspian could disappear within 75 years.
According to him, numerous cases of environmental violations and emergencies of varying severity by companies have been reported in the press and official sources. However, these companies show indifference to the environment, public health, and, in general, the fate of the Caspian Sea.
"Companies not only ignore environmental regulations but also shift financial responsibility onto the state, challenging fines or compensating them through other payments," he added.
Amid the escalating environmental crisis, he proposed a set of measures to strengthen environmental control over the activities of oil companies, including:
- Revising the environmental terms of contracts with oil companies to tighten environmental protection requirements and minimize ecological damage.
- Temporarily suspending licenses for companies that systematically violate environmental regulations.
- Conducting an international environmental audit of all oil projects in the Caspian Sea to objectively assess their environmental impact and develop recommendations to minimize ecological harm.
The "Save the Caspian Sea" movement supports Parliament Member Mr Sergey Ponomaryov's initiatives and joins the call for an international environmental audit of oil projects. The movement's founders emphasize that the crisis of the Caspian Sea ecosystem requires urgent and decisive state actions, and they hope for a positive response from oil companies.
It is important to note that Mr Ponomaryov participated in the international conference "You.Sea.Problem" in February of this year, where representatives of the public, experts, and environmentalists discussed current issues of preserving the Caspian and developing measures to protect its ecosystem. The "Save the Caspian Sea" movement believes that strengthening public oversight and international cooperation on this issue is key to preventing an ecological disaster.
