The reduction of the Caspian Sea, the world’s largest inland body of water, is accelerating at an alarming rate.
According to a study, this could seriously endanger an emblematic seal species and the coastal communities as well, partly due to the release of a toxic dust.
What’s happening to the Caspian Sea
The water level of the Caspian Sea -bordering Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkmenistan- is decreasing because rising temperatures are causing more water to evaporate than what comes in.
Even if global warming is limited to less than 2°C, it is likely that the level of the world’s largest inland body of water will decrease by 5 to 10 meters.
Worry about the evaporation of the Caspian Sea.
However, if temperatures continue to rise, the water level could drop up to 21 meters by 2100.
The consequences
Currently, the Caspian Sea spans approximately 1150 kilometers by 450 kilometers, with a total surface area of 387,000 square kilometers.
With a 10-meter decrease, it is predicted that four out of the 10 unique ecosystems in this sea will completely disappear. Thus, the coverage of existing protected marine areas (areas designated for conservation) would decrease by up to 94%.
Researchers from the University of Leeds in the UK created a map illustrating the implications of this for the biodiversity and human infrastructures in the region.
Many of the most important areas of the Caspian Sea are in shallow waters, making it urgent to take measures to protect the species and coastal communities.
Over 15 million people live on the Caspian coast in Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkmenistan. The neighboring nations rely on this body of water for fishing, maritime transport, trade, and its role in regulating the climate in Central Asia.
The Caspian Sea.
What will happen to the seals
The Caspian seals live exclusively there, where they adapted to large temperature fluctuations. Between January and March, the seals give birth to their pups with white fur on the ice in the northern area.
However, even a 5-meter decrease could reduce the surface of this habitat by up to 81%, according to the new study, putting immense pressure on an already diminished population.
Back in 2008, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) listed the Caspian seal as an endangered species due to a wide range of stress factors, such as oil and gas extraction, maritime transport, and clear signs of habitat alteration from climate change.
Now, the sea’s reduction will also make the resting areas of the animals inaccessible. Although the sea level drop may create some new islands, it is still unknown if they will be suitable alternatives.
