Caspian Sea shallowing brings new solutions for shipping

The shallowing of the Caspian Sea is bringing new solutions for shipping to the agenda, Alakbar Azizli, Director of Sustainability and Emissions Management at Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping Company (ASCO), said on the second day of Baku Climate Action Week 2026 (BCAW 2026),Report informs.

"You can only dredge beneath the pier, otherwise you could damage it. Perhaps this is possible, and we are already doing it. But there is a red line here. The water level is falling by more than 20 centimeters every year. So, if this process continues, we will have to extend the pier rather than dredge. This is the first solution. Yes, we can dredge the channels. There is no problem with that. But the situation is different for the pier.

"What are we doing as a shipping company? We are simply trying to manage our navigation safety better and more accurately. We review navigation charts and try to send timely updates to our captains. It is not only us - the Azerbaijan State Maritime Administration is also helping us with this. The main thing we can do is communicate properly and navigate more carefully," he said.