At the initiative of Leyla Aliyeva, high-level panel discussions titled "Declining Sea Levels, Retreating Coastlines, Sustainability and the Future of Closed Water Basins: The Case of the Caspian Sea" were organized in Bonn, Germany, AzerNEWS reports.
The event was held within the framework of the United Nations Climate Change sessions (June Climate Meetings – SB64), which took place from June 8 to 16.
Organized in partnership with the IDEA Public Union, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the COP29 Azerbaijan Presidency, and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the opening of the event featured remarks by Leyla Aliyeva. She noted that seas, rivers, and lakes are among the most vulnerable ecosystems on the planet today. She drew attention to issues observed in the Caspian Sea, including declining water levels and the reduction in the population of Caspian seals and other species, emphasizing the importance of applying knowledge-based, experience-driven, and sustainability-focused approaches to address such challenges.
She also highlighted initiatives implemented by the IDEA Public Union, including water body cleanup campaigns, fish restocking activities, and the “One Drop” project, stressing that such efforts contribute to fostering a responsible attitude toward water as a source of life and sustainability.
The official segment of the event also featured speeches by Simon Stiell, Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC; Fatma Varank, Chief Executive Officer of COP31 and Deputy Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change of Türkiye; and Ana Toni, Chief Executive Officer of COP30. They emphasized the importance of keeping the challenges related to the Caspian Sea's declining water level and the ecological sustainability of closed water basins high on the global climate agenda.
The discussions then continued in a panel format. Participants included Deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Yalchin Rafiyev, Director of the Climate Change Division at UNEP Martin Krause, Founder and Executive Director of the Great Whale Conservancy Michael Fishbach, IDEA Public Union expert Elnur Safarov, researcher at the Caspian Sea Research Institute of Kazakhstan and the University of Oulu in Finland Aziza Baubekova, and Head of the SPECA Multi-Partner Trust Fund at the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Kamala Huseynli. They exchanged views on the environmental, scientific, and socio-economic impacts of the declining water level of the Caspian Sea.
Participants highlighted that such events serve as an important platform for sharing scientific knowledge and experience, as well as creating new partnership opportunities.
Within the framework of the event, a short documentary dedicated to the environmental challenges of the Caspian Sea was also screened.
The panel discussions concluded with an interactive question-and-answer session.
