Is the Caspian Sea shrinking? Azerbaijan raises alarm as major part of its economy could face the brunt

The Caspian Sea, which is the biggest body of water in the world that is not connected to the ocean, is shrinking very quickly. Azerbaijan is sounding the alarm as falling sea levels start to cause problems at ports, threaten oil shipments, and put unique wildlife at risk. Officials say that if the decline isn't stopped, it could have serious effects on the economy and the environment.

How serious is the decline in sea levels?

According to Azerbaijani officials, the Caspian Sea's level is dropping quickly, which is having an impact on ports and oil shipments and could cause catastrophic harm to sturgeon and seal populations, as per a report by Reuters.


Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkmenistan are the five nations that border the Caspian, the largest salt lake in the world, which contains substantial offshore oil reserves.


ALSO READ: Who was faith leader James Dobson — the man who shaped American evangelicals, dies at 89

Rauf Hajiyev, the deputy minister of ecology for Azerbaijan, told Reuters that although the sea had been becoming shallower for decades, statistics indicated that the trend was quickening, as per a report by Reuters.


In an interview, he estimated that the current rate of decline is 20-30 cm per year, noting that its level has dropped by 0.93 meters (3 feet) in the last five years, 1.5 meters in the last ten, and 2.5 meters in the last thirty.

As the representative of Azerbaijan in a joint working group with Russia that convened for the first time in April to discuss the issue, Hajiyev stated, "The retreat of the coastline changes natural conditions, disrupts economic activity and creates new challenges for sustainable development," as per a report by Reuters.


Notwithstanding the deteriorating ties between the two nations, the working group intends to approve a joint online program for monitoring and responding to the issue in September in accordance with the protocol that was signed between them.

Russia primarily attributes the issue to climate change, but Azerbaijan also points the finger at Russia for building dams on the Volga River, which supplies 80% of the water that enters the Caspian.

According to Hajiyev, the lives of people living along the coast and the operations of ports are already being impacted by the declining water level. There are roughly 15 million people living in the Caspian region overall, and 4 million on the Azerbaijani coast, as per a report by Reuters.


According to him, ships are having more trouble maneuvering and entering the port of Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. He added that this is increasing logistics costs and decreasing cargo capacity.

What is the impact on ports and oil shipments?

According to Baku International Sea Port director Eldar Salakhov, the amount of oil and oil product transported through the Dubendi oil terminal, the biggest in Azerbaijani waters of the Caspian Sea, decreased from 880,000 tons in the first half of 2025 to 810,000 tons in the same period last year. He attributed the decrease to the dropping water level, which he claimed was necessitating significant dredging in order to maintain steady and continuous port operations.

To guarantee that the biggest tankers could enter the Dubendi oil terminal without any problems, more than 250,000 cubic meters of dredging were done there in 2024, he told Reuters.

The Engineer Soltan Kazimov, a new dredging vessel that will soon go into service, was completed in April at the Baku Shipyard. In order to help preserve the port's capacity, Salakhov stated that it would be able to deepen the bottom to 18 meters.

ALSO READ: iPhone 17 is coming—here are 5 fresh features that could make you upgrade fast

Which wildlife species are most at risk?

The deputy minister, Hajiyev, claimed that the retreat of the waters was endangering the survival of certain marine species and destroying reed beds, lagoons, and wetlands.

The greatest setback is to sturgeon, which are already in danger of going extinct and are valued for their caviar. In addition to being isolated from their customary spawning grounds in rivers, they are losing up to 45% of their summer and fall habitats, as per a report by Reuters.


He also noted that the declining sea area and the loss of seasonal ice fields in the north, where caspian seals breed, pose a threat to the species.

FAQs

How quickly is the Caspian Sea getting smaller?
In the last five years, the sea level has dropped by 0.93 meters, or 20 to 30 centimeters each year.

How does this affect Azerbaijan?
Baku and other ports have higher shipping costs, oil shipments are going down, and marine animals like seals and sturgeon are in danger.