UN-Habitat: Caspian Sea level decline may pose serious infrastructure and economic risks

Even a slight decline in the Caspian Sea water level could cause significant changes in coastal areas and create serious infrastructure and economic risks, Wang Runze, a program manager at the UN-Habitat office in Azerbaijan, said during a panel session held as part of Baku Climate Action Week 2026 (BCAW 2026), Report informs.

According to him, even a small decline in water levels in shallow coastal areas could lead to a significant increase in the area of exposed seabed.

He stressed the need for adaptive and proactive spatial planning that takes into account the location of roads, drainage systems, utility networks and other infrastructure when developing measures to protect coastal areas.

According to the UN-Habitat representative, such an approach would help identify areas where infrastructure needs to be reinforced, buffer zones established and additional measures taken to protect water resources.

He also highlighted the importance of studying international experience.

"For example, the Great Salt Lake in the United States has faced a number of serious challenges, and hydrodynamic monitoring and new planning approaches are already being used there to address these issues," Wang said.