The Caspian Sea is facing a catastrophic problem: rapid drying up. In less than 20 years, the sea surface area has shrunk by more than 34 thousand square kilometers, which is larger than the area of Belgium.
The water quality has also deteriorated, moving from the “clean” category to “moderately polluted” with periodic excess concentrations of harmful substances.
A report by the “Center for Support of Public and Civil Initiatives” (CPGI), prepared at the request of one of the Caspian regions, says that the trend towards lower sea levels began in the 1990s and has accelerated since 2020. Over the past four years, the sea level has dropped by almost 80 centimeters.
The main reason is the decrease in the annual flow of the Volga River, which provides about 80% of the water inflow into the Caspian Sea and 64% of the total water balance of the lake.
The annual flow of the Volga in recent years has been from 210 to 232 cubic kilometers, which is significantly lower than the historical average of 250 cubic kilometers.
In parallel, rising air temperatures increase the rate of evaporation, which further reduces the water level. Scientists associate these changes with global climate change and the continuing growth of greenhouse gas emissions.
The reduction in the volume of water flowing into the sea is caused by human activity, in particular, significant withdrawal of water from rivers for agricultural, industrial and municipal needs. Of the 130 rivers flowing into the Caspian Sea, most were regulated by the early 1970s, which had a negative impact on the water balance of the reservoir.
According to experts, only a constant inflow of water in the amount of about 270 cubic kilometers per year, comparable to the level recorded in the 1970s and 1990s, can stop the ongoing shallowing of the lake.
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