ASTANA, August 11 — At the international conference "Caspian Ecology — Challenges and Solutions," held as part of High Caspian Week, the environmental movement Save the Caspian Sea presented for discussion a draft resolution titled "10 Steps to Save the Caspian." The document will serve as a roadmap for preserving the sea’s ecosystem and ensuring the sustainable development of the Caspian region. According to Vadim Ni, founder of Save the Caspian Sea, the Resolution will soon be submitted to the President and Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan for implementation.
"There have been many projects, programs, and two conventions concerning the Caspian Sea. Over the nine months since our launch, we realized that the most essential steps to save the sea have not been taken. Today, we have taken the courage to develop and voice these steps ourselves. We created the draft document together with environmentalists, local communities, public figures, and lawyers. The 10 steps we propose are a roadmap that will help unite the efforts of countries, organizations, and citizens to protect the sea," emphasized Vadim Ni, founder of Save the Caspian Sea.
The Resolution includes measures to coordinate the environmental policies of the Caspian littoral states, expand scientific research and data exchange, attract investment for ecosystem restoration projects, tighten control over industrial emissions and discharges, and protect biodiversity and rare species.
According to Save the Caspian Sea, the seabed is exposing by 70 centimeters annually, and in some areas of Kazakhstan, the shoreline has already receded by 20 kilometers.
"In recent years, we have observed a troubling trend of declining sea levels. In 2024, compared to 2023, the Caspian Sea level in the Kazakh sector dropped by 26 centimeters, reaching -29.12 centimeters according to the Baltic system. Our meteorologists report that the Caspian climate is warming significantly faster than the rest of Kazakhstan. This leads to intensified water evaporation. Regulation of river inflows feeding the Caspian also plays a major role. Our scientists predict that by 2050, the water level will fall by another several meters — from three to five," said Daulet Esmagambetov, Director of the Department of Environmental Culture and Policy at the Ministry of Ecology, Geology and Natural Resources of Kazakhstan, in his speech.
Conference participants also highlighted another serious problem: oil-containing slicks left in the Caspian waters by marine vessels and oil fields. It is often difficult to detect such pollution quickly, let alone identify the polluters. Andrey Balagurov, project coordinator of “Transparent World on the Caspian” and Development Director of the Raimet NGO, spoke about a technology that allows detecting these slicks via satellite monitoring. This method has already proven effective: "The reflective surface of oil slicks is not cloud shadows, as some officials claim. These are confirmed facts requiring further investigation."
However, documenting the fact is not enough — polluters must be held accountable. According to A. Balagurov, only 0.5% of the 90,000 detected slicks during monitoring have led to real penalties. The expert noted that Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Emergency Situations has shown interest in this technology and is conducting working meetings on its implementation.
Vadim Ni stressed that responsibility lies with everyone, including businesses: "There are currently legal proceedings regarding the disclosure of environmental conditions of the PSAs for Karachaganak, Kashagan, and Tengiz. We demand transparency. Oil companies should remember: you cannot kill the goose that lays golden eggs. Saving the Caspian is also in their interest."
The final version of the document will be presented to the public on August 15 at the Media Forum in Astana, also held within the framework of High Caspian Week.
For reference:
High Caspian Week is a series of environmental, cultural, and media events taking place from August 11 to 16 in four cities (Aktau, Atyrau, Astana, Almaty), timed to coincide with the International Caspian Sea Day (August 12). Its goal is to raise public awareness about the catastrophic shrinking of the Caspian Sea and to launch sustainable solutions to save the largest enclosed body of water on the planet.
The conference organizer is the global environmental movement Save the Caspian Sea as part of High Caspian Week. The event brought together environmentalists, scientists, public figures, and government representatives.
"There have been many projects, programs, and two conventions concerning the Caspian Sea. Over the nine months since our launch, we realized that the most essential steps to save the sea have not been taken. Today, we have taken the courage to develop and voice these steps ourselves. We created the draft document together with environmentalists, local communities, public figures, and lawyers. The 10 steps we propose are a roadmap that will help unite the efforts of countries, organizations, and citizens to protect the sea," emphasized Vadim Ni, founder of Save the Caspian Sea.
The Resolution includes measures to coordinate the environmental policies of the Caspian littoral states, expand scientific research and data exchange, attract investment for ecosystem restoration projects, tighten control over industrial emissions and discharges, and protect biodiversity and rare species.
According to Save the Caspian Sea, the seabed is exposing by 70 centimeters annually, and in some areas of Kazakhstan, the shoreline has already receded by 20 kilometers.
"In recent years, we have observed a troubling trend of declining sea levels. In 2024, compared to 2023, the Caspian Sea level in the Kazakh sector dropped by 26 centimeters, reaching -29.12 centimeters according to the Baltic system. Our meteorologists report that the Caspian climate is warming significantly faster than the rest of Kazakhstan. This leads to intensified water evaporation. Regulation of river inflows feeding the Caspian also plays a major role. Our scientists predict that by 2050, the water level will fall by another several meters — from three to five," said Daulet Esmagambetov, Director of the Department of Environmental Culture and Policy at the Ministry of Ecology, Geology and Natural Resources of Kazakhstan, in his speech.
Conference participants also highlighted another serious problem: oil-containing slicks left in the Caspian waters by marine vessels and oil fields. It is often difficult to detect such pollution quickly, let alone identify the polluters. Andrey Balagurov, project coordinator of “Transparent World on the Caspian” and Development Director of the Raimet NGO, spoke about a technology that allows detecting these slicks via satellite monitoring. This method has already proven effective: "The reflective surface of oil slicks is not cloud shadows, as some officials claim. These are confirmed facts requiring further investigation."
However, documenting the fact is not enough — polluters must be held accountable. According to A. Balagurov, only 0.5% of the 90,000 detected slicks during monitoring have led to real penalties. The expert noted that Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Emergency Situations has shown interest in this technology and is conducting working meetings on its implementation.
Vadim Ni stressed that responsibility lies with everyone, including businesses: "There are currently legal proceedings regarding the disclosure of environmental conditions of the PSAs for Karachaganak, Kashagan, and Tengiz. We demand transparency. Oil companies should remember: you cannot kill the goose that lays golden eggs. Saving the Caspian is also in their interest."
The final version of the document will be presented to the public on August 15 at the Media Forum in Astana, also held within the framework of High Caspian Week.
For reference:
High Caspian Week is a series of environmental, cultural, and media events taking place from August 11 to 16 in four cities (Aktau, Atyrau, Astana, Almaty), timed to coincide with the International Caspian Sea Day (August 12). Its goal is to raise public awareness about the catastrophic shrinking of the Caspian Sea and to launch sustainable solutions to save the largest enclosed body of water on the planet.
The conference organizer is the global environmental movement Save the Caspian Sea as part of High Caspian Week. The event brought together environmentalists, scientists, public figures, and government representatives.
