Page 28 - bne monthly magazine June 2024 Russian Despair Index

28 I Companies & Markets bne June 2024
Environmental disaster awaits all the countries of the Caspian. / bne IntelliNews
bne:Green
Caspian Sea water levels dropping cause alarm in Iran's north
bne Tehran bureau
Ahmad Donyamali, an Iranian MP from Anzali on the Caspian coast, has raised serious concerns in the country’s parliament over the falling water levels of the Caspian Sea, which he says are damaging the Anzali Lagoon.
The Caspian Sea, the largest inland body of water globally, has been experiencing a massive decrease in water levels over the past decade. This decline, attributed to climate change and upstream diversions, is endangering its unique ecosystem, which has been the lifeblood of both humans and animals
for millennia. The Caspian has shorelines in five countries: Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia and Turkmenistan. Kazakhstan’s section is the shallowest, while Iran has the deepest in the south.
The sea is home to over 400 indigenous species, including the endangered Caspian sturgeon and rare freshwater seals. Pollution from industrial waste, untreated sewage, and agricultural runoff has worsened the situation, posing severe risks to the sea's flora and fauna.
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The Iranian MP urged the government to create a new presidential commission to tackle the ongoing drop in the Caspian Sea's level, and create a working group across the country and with neighbours as a priority.
He said the economic implications are also "significant," adding that ports and docks in "coastal regions on the coastline "are becoming less accessible," disrupting shipping and transit operations to the country with its neighbours in Russia and Kazakhstan.
Meanwhile, further north, the Volga River, a crucial water source for the Caspian Sea, has suffered from a lack of maintenance, exacerbating navigation issues in recent years with the silting up of the river and its tributaries causing several ships to run aground.
In his address, Donyamali urged the Supreme Council of Free Zones to prioritise development efforts in Anzali and called for annual reviews and potential amendments to