World Bank launches five-year project to monitor Caspian pollution, protect biodiversity

The Board of Directors of the World Bank (WB) has approved the allocation of funds for the implementation of the project "Blueing the Caspian Sea: Building Capacities for Pollution Management and Biodiversity Conservation" in the amount of $8.24 million, Report informs.

According to a statement, the recipients of project financing are Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan. In addition, the project will receive grant financing from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) in the amount of $11.74 million.

The project implementation period is five years, and coordination is carried out by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) has been provided a GEF grant of $183,489 for the development of Environmental and Social Framework (ESF) tools and the establishment of cross-country cooperation.

The WB funds are distributed across two key components: pollution monitoring management ($3.15 million) – developing systemic approaches and conducting comparable water resource quality assessments; biodiversity planning management ($4.25 million) – improving protected area management and tracking population status.

The project envisages strengthening pollution monitoring and control systems, as well as enhancing the management efficiency of marine protected areas in target regions of the Caspian Sea. This largest enclosed body of water on the planet accumulates approximately 44% of all inland waters on Earth and borders the shores of Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkmenistan. As the WB notes, the Caspian ecosystem is unique – it is home to approximately 400 endemic species, and its prolonged isolation from the world ocean has contributed to the formation of exceptionally rich biodiversity.

Nevertheless, in recent decades, the sea's water level has decreased significantly. According to projections, by 2100, this level may drop by 8-30 meters as a result of climate change and economic exploitation of water resources, the bank emphasizes.

Within the first component, work will be concentrated on common national-level areas that have the greatest impact on the ecosystem and water resources of the Caspian Sea, including: monitoring pollution from freshwater inflows (catchment basins and runoff); strengthening surveillance of coastal and marine pollution within the boundaries of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and nature reserves; combating pollution caused by oil and gas exploration and production. At this stage, technical assistance will be provided in creating partnership mechanisms between government agencies and the oil and gas industry. The objective is to implement best international practices and utilize companies' industrial environmental monitoring data.

In Azerbaijan, the project will support the Department of Environmental Policy of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources in preparing a marine pollution monitoring scheme. Key activities encompass analysis of existing practices, assistance in developing a monitoring scheme, conducting a national seminar, and preparing the necessary policy tools.

Training of ministry staff is envisaged with a focus on pollutants affecting marine protected areas and river estuaries, the statement says.

The second component is focused on key species – Caspian seals and sturgeon – with the aim of improving protected area management. It is aimed at addressing biodiversity data collection challenges, ensuring a transition from an advisory nature to actual reporting on population status.

In Azerbaijan, the expansion of marine protected areas within the Absheron National Park is planned with a focus on flagship species (Caspian seal, fish, waterfowl), the WB noted.