The Caspian Sea, the world's largest inland sea and lake, is shrinking rapidly. Once a vital source for fishing, farming, and tourism across five countries — Kazakhstan, Iran, Azerbaijan, Russia, and Turkmenistan — it now faces a looming crisis.
A view shows dead Caspian seals washed up on the coast of the Caspian Sea in Makhachkala, Russia, December 6, 2022. Kazbek Basayev/Reuters
Environmental activist Azamat Sarsenbayev from Kazakhstan and photographer Khashayar Javanmardi from Iran are witnessing the sea’s dramatic decline firsthand, with receding waters and increasing pollution posing severe threats to the region.
Climate change, dam construction, and over-extraction of water have accelerated this decline, reducing water levels by approximately five feet since 2005. Experts predict further drops of up to 98 feet by the end of the century. The shrinking sea could devastate industries like fishing and tourism, and also endanger the Caspian’s unique wildlife, including the endangered Caspian seal and sturgeon. Although no single country is to blame, without coordinated action, the Caspian Sea may face a fate similar to that of the nearly vanished Aral Sea.
