Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences

“The level of the Caspian Sea has undergone three sharp changes over the past 100 years, with the average annual sea level dropping by 3.2 meters between 1930 and 1977 and rising by up to 2.5 meters between 1978 and 1995. As a result of this process, up to 50,000 hectares of land in the 850 km coastal zone of the republic were flooded”-said Professor Amir Aliyev, Doctor of geographical sciences and head of the Department of the Institute of Geography of the Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan named after academician H.Aliyev, delivering a report on “Changes in the Level of the Caspian Sea in Modern Times: Causes and Consequences” at the meeting of the Presidium.

He mentioned that the Caspian Sea’s level decreased by 2 meters between 1996 and 2023, and this process is ongoing, with 38,000 hectares of land in the coastal zone of our republic emerging from under the sea during that period.

 “Azerbaijan Republic is the state that has suffered the most from the fluctuations in the Caspian Sea’s level among the five Caspian littoral states. Currently, more than half of our population and around 80% of our industrial potential are located in the Caspian coastal area. The sharp rise in the Caspian Sea level between 1978 and 1995 caused significant damage to industrial and agricultural infrastructure located in the coastal zone,”-said Professor Amir Aliyev.

The scientist also noted that if the Caspian Sea level drops 1.5 meters from its current state, several retreats and other significant ecological problems could occur in the Nabran-Shabran coastal area, the Absheron Peninsula, the Southwest region, and the Baku Bay.

In his speech, Professor Amir Aliyev also presented his proposals regarding the ecological problems of the Caspian Sea.

After the presentation, extensive discussions were held on the topic, and several important decisions were adopted by the Presidium.

Reyhan Majidli, Public Relations, Press and Information Department of the Presidium Administration of ANAS

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