The Caspian Sea is a geographical marvel and a critical resource for the five countries—Russia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan—that border it. But the future of the world’s largest enclosed inland body of water is highly uncertain. The Caspian is currently exhibiting many of the same symptoms previously experienced by the Aral Sea, which has lost 90 percent of its original size in the past 60 years. Despite the urgency of the problem, however, it is far from certain that the Caspian-bordering countries will reach the levels of cooperation needed for its survival, given their distinct economic and political agendas.
The Caspian Sea’s water levels have decreased an average of 2.75 inches annually since the early 1990s. The Institute of Geography of the Russian Academy of Sciences now estimates the loss rate at 9 inches per year. From 1993 to 2023, the water level dropped by 6 feet, 6 inches in total.
Kazakhstan is experiencing some of the most severe impacts because of its shallow coastline. In Aqtau, a city with a population of about 250,000, residents face trade disruptions and difficulties with drinking water supply as the sea recedes.
Read or listen the full article by Robert Looney in the World Politics Review
Editor’s note: Robert Looney passed away on Dec. 19, 2024, while this article was awaiting publication. With the consent of his family, we are publishing it posthumously. Bob was a longtime and well-liked contributor to WPR who was always kind, gracious and a pleasure to work with. He’ll be missed.
