Water level in Caspian Sea to decline over coming 10-15 years - Roshydromet

ST. PETERSBURG. May 22 (Interfax) - The water level in the Caspian Sea is expected to decline over at least the coming 10-15 years, Igor Shumakov, the head of the Russian Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring (Roshydromet), said.

"The predictions, based on simulations of an intergovernmental group of experts for climate change, show that global climate change tendencies will persist. It means that natural environmental changes will be happening in the Caspian region over the coming 10-15 years amid rising air temperatures, decreasing river outflow and, accordingly, further reduction of the level of the Caspian Sea," Shumakov said at the 11th Nevsky International Ecological Congress on Thursday.

Researchers registered an increase in water temperatures and an increase in evaporation from the water surface of the Caspian Sea in the past few years, he said. "We link it primarily to regional climate changes. The low water level in the Caspian Sea undoubtedly negatively influences the socioeconomic development of all Caspian littoral states," Shumakov said. "The shallowing of the Caspian Sea is accompanied by worsening conditions for navigation, oil extraction, reduction of biodiversity and fish catch," he said.

Denis Afanasyev, deputy governor and chairman of the government of the Astrakhan region, said "the fall of the level of the Caspian Sea is becoming an increasingly serious problem to all Caspian littoral states." "Initially, the rates of the falling level [of water in the Caspian Sea] were not high, but it became obvious and possible to state after 2023 that the highest fall level since 1977 had been reached [...] Further decline is predicted. A fall and a level of minus 29.3 meters according to the Baltic altitude system is possible in 2025 alone," he said.

Afanasyev said it is necessary to take a range of adaptation measures in the period of further decrease of the level of the Caspian Sea. He noted the importance of active work of all five Caspian littoral states and implementation of measures to preserve the Caspian Sea.

"These are natural processes, which we currently cannot influence. We can only take the corresponding adaptation measures. Or suggest and implement events reducing irreversible water loss, replenishing the outflow from the rivers that run into the Caspian Sea. And we have worded and proposed these measures at the bilateral Russia-Azerbaijan commission, which met yesterday," Afanasyev said.