The Caspian Sea’s falling water levels are turning out to be more than an environmental warning. They are a test of whether regional cooperation can deliver results before the damage becomes harder to reverse. On 9 October, the presidents of Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Russia, Kazakhstan and Iran agreed at the first Caspian Environmental Summit in Avaza, Turkmenistan, to establish a commission to investigate the decline and develop joint measures to mitigate its consequences.
The initiative is welcome, but declarations alone look not strong enough to save the Caspian. The commission, involving government representatives and scientists from all five countries, however, is looking to turn shared concern into practical action. Its first meeting, scheduled for Azerbaijan in the first half of 2027, will be an early test of that commitment.
The sea obviously knows no borders and its future depends on whether the five governments can put scientific evidence and collective responsibility ahead of political differences. The time for action is now. The sharp decline in the Caspian Sea’s water level has already become a strategic problem that goes beyond environmental issues of the individual coastal countries.
It affects the region’s economic security, transport connections, and prospects for future development of countries. Statements by President Ilham Aliyev at the extended meeting of the Caspian Environmental Summit on October 9 in Turkmenbashi, Turkmenistan, once again showed the importance of a systemic approach to solving this problem. "One of the most serious problems facing the Caspian is its shallowing.
The decline in the water level of the Caspian Sea has been ongoing for many years. Regrettably, this process has accelerated noticeably in recent times, and the situation continues to deteriorate. A substantial reduction in the sea’s surface area is being observed.
The total area of the sea surface has already decreased by more than 20,000 square kilometers," President Ilham Aliyev said. The head of state also emphasized that if the current trend continues, the consequences could be catastrophic. He noted that the problem of shallowing has implications beyond the environment.
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