 | Glossary |
Caspian Sea
| Environment | |
| After years of misuse and mismanagement during the Soviet era, the Caspian Sea has become more and more polluted as oil and natural gas extraction activities continue. New pipeline construction will compound the region’s already existing environmental difficulties. |
With oil and gas production and marine transport expected to increase in coming years, the risk of oil spills and other leakages will increase. The Caspian is also a closed sea, meaning that pollution can remain in the area for decades.
Petrochemical and refining complexes on the Absheron peninsula in
Azerbaijan
are major sources of land-based pollution, and discharges and spills from oil and natural gas drilling--both onshore and in the sea itself--have had serious impacts on the environment. Untreated waste from
the Volga River,
which half the population of Russia and most of its he
avy industry drains its sewage,
empties directly into the Caspian Sea, while pesticides and chemicals from agricultural run-off are threats to the Sea's flora and fauna. Overfishing, especially of the prized sturgeon, has caused a dramatic decline in fish stocks. Ecologists have directly related the death of seals, fish, and birds in the sea and the disappearance of unique plants to oil company activit
ies. (For more information, see the
links
section
and
DOE's Black Sea and Caspian Sea Environmental Information Center
)
In addition to the existing problems, several other issues could compound the Caspian region's environmental difficulties. Oil and natural gas production in the Sea inevitably will result in the construction of pipelines and infrastructure to export these resources to consumers, raising the possibility of loss of habitats for marine life as well as the
spectre
of accidental spills.
Also, o
ver the past
30
years the sea level
has risen
by
7
feet
, which poses a threat to settlements
and oil infrastructure.
A
map
of hazards in the
Caspian Sea
is available on the
UN Environment Program Website
.
Until recently, a
lack of regional cooperation, highlighted by weak
transnational environmental laws,
regulations
, and enforcement capabilities was affecting
e
fforts to protect the
Caspian Sea
’s
environment.
In August 2006, all five littoral states came to an agreement that basically acknowledges the environmental problems that are occurring in the region and establishes mechanisms to allow the states to rectify them. The
Caspian Environment Program website
contains the
text of the full agreement
as well as other
background information
.
Continued economic development, improved regional cooperation, and the implementation of modern technology will be required in order to improve the state of the environment in and around the
Caspian Sea
in coming years.
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| January 2007 |
| Background |
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| Oil |
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| Export Issues |
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| Natural Gas |
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| Regional Conflicts |
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| Environment |
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| Related Briefs |
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Central Asia Brief |
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Kazakhstan Brief |
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Azerbaijan Brief |
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Turkey Brief |
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Caucasus Brief |
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SE Europe Brief |
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Iran Brief |
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