Caspian Sea level falls
By Amina Nazarli
The water level of the Caspian Sea, the pearl of the region, once again decreased reaching the mark of 28 meters below the global ocean level.
Zabit Allahverdiyev, the Head of the Caspian Sea Hydrometeorology Department of the Geography Institute of the ANAS, said that the lowering of the water level is connected with the hydrological regime, tectonic and atmospheric processes.
The water level in the Caspian Sea increased by 2.5 meters from 1977 to 1995. The Caspian Sea level has relatively stabilized since 1995. After 2009, the water level in the sea began to fall intensively.
Both lowering and rising of the sea level have their positive and negative sides. The rising sea level causes floods on the coastal areas, while its reduction may hamper the works of the ports and other objects.
"Now water level in the sea is falling. It is impossible to predict how long the water level will continue to fall," he said.
The Caspian Sea is the biggest enclosed body of water on Earth, with enormous deposits of oil and gas as well as rich fisheries.
Fresh water flows into the sea via the Volga River and Ural River in the north, however, the sea remains somewhat salty, central and south.
The Caspian Sea, a home to about 141 fish species, is rich with natural resources. The resource-rich basin of the Caspian Sea has been in the spotlight of the coastal nations – Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkmenistan and Iran.
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Amina Nazarli is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on
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