ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has called for coordinated regional action to address the Caspian Sea’s shrinking water levels, proposing a shared digital monitoring platform and an international biodiversity fund. The environmental crisis also poses growing risks to regional economies and communities, he said, speaking at the Caspian Ecological Summit on Oct.
9 in Avaza. According to Tokayev, Caspian countries must strengthen regional cooperation and take coordinated action to address the sea’s shrinking water levels. Photo credit: Akorda. According to him, the sea’s surface area had decreased by more than 16,000 square kilometers between 2000 and 2025, while the Caspian seal population had fallen from around one million to 270,000 over the past century.
“The Caspian is a unique natural treasure, a source of well-being for millions of people, and a key transport and energy hub for the entire Eurasian continent. Therefore, preserving the Caspian Sea’s ecosystem requires special attention, primarily from our states,” Tokayev said.
“If urgent and decisive measures are not taken now, the environmental situation will deteriorate rapidly, causing irreparable damage not only to the peoples of the Caspian countries but also to the entire international community,” he added. Shared monitoring and scientific cooperation To address the ecological crisis, Tokayev proposed leveraging the Caspian Sea Research Institute, established in Kazakhstan in 2024, and partnering with research centers across the Caspian region to conduct comprehensive studies and develop joint strategies for adapting to environmental changes.
He also proposed creating a shared digital platform to collect and analyze information on water resources, shoreline changes, biodiversity, pollution and river flows. “Satellite technologies, artificial intelligence and modern forecasting systems will make it possible to conduct real-time monitoring and identify and eliminate environmental risks in a timely manner,” Tokayev said.
Climate risks threaten regional economies Tokayev said the Caspian’s decline must be considered in the context of wider climate change across the region. According to projections he cited, temperatures in some parts of the region could rise by 5 degrees Celsius by the end of the century, intensifying glacier melt, water shortages, droughts and land degradation.
He also referred to World Bank estimates that nearly 2.5 million people in the region could face the risk of internal displacement due to climate factors by 2050.