'We are losing the Caspian': Is it possible to stop the shallowing

The Caspian Sea is in trouble. People are talking about the Caspian Sea at a meeting in Astana that started on April 22. The main thing they are discussing is that the Caspian Sea is getting shallower. Experts think that just talking about it will not be enough to make things better. They say that Russia needs to be willing to work with others and oil companies need to be more careful and honest about what they're doing.

The Caspian Sea is special because it is the body of water that is not connected to the ocean. Five countries share the Caspian Sea: Kazakhstan, Russia, Azerbaijan, Iran and Turkmenistan. These countries have a lot of oil and gas in the Caspian Sea, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Russia.

For 20 years the Caspian Sea has been getting shallower. The water has moved back a way and this is very bad for the environment. The Caspian seal is in trouble. There are only about 10 percent of them left.

Vadim Ni is the head of a group that wants to save the Caspian Sea. He said that we are losing the Caspian Sea. He is worried because the water is moving back fast. In some places it has moved back 35 kilometers. He thinks that by 2025 the water will be very low. This is a problem because it will change the shape of the coast and some areas will dry up.

Some people think that oil is making the Caspian Sea dirty. They saw some spots on the water but the government says that the water is not very dirty. Satellites took pictures of the Caspian Sea. Saw 40 spots that looked like oil. Ecologists think that oil production is making the sea dirty. They do not have enough information.

The government of Kazakhstan said that the spots are shadows. The people in charge of the Kashagan field said that there is no oil in the water.

The big problem is that the Caspian Sea is getting shallower. This is bad for the animals that live in the sea. In 2022 a lot of seals died because the water was dirty. The ports of Aktau and Kuryk are having trouble because the water is too shallow. Ships cannot carry much as they used to and the bottom of the sea needs to be dug out all the time.

Some people think that the Caspian Sea getting shallower will cause problems. It could affect the way goods are transported from China to Europe. It could also cause problems with heat, electricity and water in the cities near the sea. Some politicians think that people might have to leave their homes.

Vadim Ni said that when the sea gets shallower it makes storms with salt and dust. These storms can travel far. Hurt farming and peoples health.

The president of Kazakhstan said that the situation with the Caspian Sea is very bad. The president of Azerbaijan said that Russias actions are part of the problem. The president of Russia said that the problem is because of things, including things that people have done and changes in the climate.

There is a project to help the Caspian Sea. The World Bank is giving $20 million to monitor the pollution and protect the animals that live in the sea.

The problem of the Caspian Sea is being discussed in Astana.. Experts do not think that much will be done to help. One expert said that there will be a statement and some money will be given to projects but he does not think that anything will be done to really stop the pollution.

The main reason the Caspian Sea is getting shallower is that less water is flowing into it. The Volga River is the river that flows into the Caspian Sea but it is getting shallower too. This is because of climate change and because of the dams and reservoirs that have been built.

Kazakhstan asked Russia to work to increase the water flow but Russia said no. Experts think that all the countries that share the Caspian Sea need to work to stop the pollution manage the water and fight climate change.

Vadim Ni thinks that the situation is very serious. If we do not do something to help the Caspian Sea it could be a disaster. Another expert is not very hopeful about protecting the environment. He said that for every thing that happens there are two or three bad things. The Caspian Sea is, in trouble. We need to do something to help it. The Caspian Sea is very important. We cannot lose it.