Baku, 17 May 2007 - The
inaugural conference for the Framework Convention
for the Protection of the Marine Environment
of the Caspian Sea – the first legally binding
agreement on any subject ever adopted by
the five Caspian neighbours – will be hosted
here from 23 to 25 May by the Government
of Azerbaijan.
Under the Convention, which entered into
force last August, the Republic of Azerbaijan,
the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Republic
of Kazakhstan, the Russian Federation and
Turkmenistan will collaborate on reversing
an environmental crisis brought about by
habitat destruction, industrial pollution
and the over-exploitation of fish and other
marine life.
"The regional partnership established
by this Convention will assist in the sustainable
management of the Caspian's economically
important natural and nature-based resources.
This is good news for the millions of people
living in the region and for the region's
contribution to global efforts to address
climate change and to reduce the rate of
biodiversity loss," said Achim Steiner,
UN Under-Secretary General and Executive
Director of the UN Environment Programme,
which provided the secretariat for the negotiations.
The Baku conference will advance work on
four protocols to the Convention that will
set out specific, detailed obligations in
the fields of biodiversity conservation,
environmental impact assessment, oil pollution
incidents and pollution from land-based
sources.
The aim is to advance the texts sufficiently
to make it possible to adopt them at the
next conference in 2008, to be held in Iran.
The meeting will also consider a proposal
by Iran to launch work on a fisheries protocol
and adopt a one-year work programme.
The final day (Friday) will feature a ministerial
segment with ministers or deputy ministers
representing each of the five countries.
With an area of some 370,886 sq km (143,200
sq mi), the mildly salty Caspian Sea is
the largest land-locked body of water in
the world. It is fed by some 130 tributary
rivers, most importantly the Volga River,
which alone accounts for 75% of the total
inflow. The Caspian is criss-crossed by
a growing network of pipelines and transport
routes but has great potential for eco-tourism
and for sustainable fisheries and agriculture.
The new treaty commits its member governments
to prevent and reduce pollution, restore
the environment, use the Sea’s resources
in a sustainable and reasonable manner,
and cooperate with one another and with
international organizations to protect the
environment.
More specifically, under the Convention
the five governments will:
• Reduce industrial pollution. The Caspian
Sea is polluted by industrial emissions,
toxic and radioactive wastes, agricultural
run-off, sewage and leaks from oil extraction
and refining. A particular challenge will
be to address the potential consequences
of the recent growth in oil and gas production.
In 2004, regional oil production reached
roughly 1.9 million barrels per day, and
other oil supplies transit the region via
ship and pipeline. The Parties to the Convention
are to prevent and reduce pollution from
seabed activities, land-based activities,
ships and dumping.
• Protect marine living resources. The
Caspian is rich in biological diversity
and boasts some 400 endemic (unique) species.
The best-known example of the over-exploitation
of these biological resources is the dramatic
decline of the sturgeon fisheries and the
limited quotas for caviar exports set under
the Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species (CITES).
Habitat destruction is also a major threat.
For example, the building of numerous dams
and hydroelectric plants on the Volga has
fragmented habitats and harmed many vulnerable
species. Meanwhile, now that ships can enter
the Caspian from the world’s seas via the
Volga-Don Canal, it is easier for invasive
alien species such as the highly destructive
North American comb jelly to become established
and to compete against indigenous species.
Relying on both the precautionary principle
and the best available scientific evidence,
the five governments are to improve coastal
management systems and protect, preserve
and restore the Caspian’s marine living
resources and use them in a rational manner.
• Address the problem of fluctuating water
levels. For reasons that are not yet fully
understood (factors could include tectonic
shifts, climate variations, sedimentation
and human actions), the Caspian Sea’s surface
level fluctuates over time. From 1880 to
1977 the sea dropped four metres. A sudden
reversal in 1977 caught people by surprise,
inundating coastal areas and causing billions
of dollars in damages. Efforts to control
water levels in an eastern arm of the Caspian
known as the Kara Bogaz Gol have proven
particularly destructive. The Convention
stresses the importance of ensuring that
any future efforts to manage water levels
do not harm the human or natural environment.
• Collaborate on emergency response. Recognizing
the wide range of potential hazards that
could suddenly threaten the people and natural
environment of the Caspian Sea, the Convention
commits its members to cooperate on protecting
human beings and the marine environment
against the consequences of natural or man-made
emergencies. It calls for the development
of a detailed plan on prevention, preparedness,
information-sharing and response measures.
• Monitor and assess the environment. Building
on work conducted under the Caspian Environment
Programme, the Caspian Sea governments will
cooperate on scientific research, environmental
impact assessments and information exchange.
The CEP was established in 1995 following
an environmental assessment by UNEP, the
UN Development Programme and the World Bank.
Michael Williams / Nick Nuttall (Nairobi)
