When Adilbek Kozybakov was a child, his mother always kept a jar of caviar (sturgeon eggs) in the refrigerator. Every day, she fed Kozybakov and his siblings a spoonful of caviar on bread and butter. She believed that caviar would keep them healthy.
Kozybakov, now 51, is an ecologist who grew up in the city of Aktau in western Kazakhstan, on the shores of the Caspian Sea.
Kozybakov said the caviar tasted salty and had a sea scent.
But 40 years later, that family tradition is now just a memory for him. Natural caviar is no longer available in shops in the city of Aktau. Sturgeon fish are now endangered due to overfishing and habitat loss. Soon, the sea itself may disappear.
The Caspian Sea, located between Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Iran, and Azerbaijan, is the world’s largest landlocked body of water. It is the fastest route from China to Europe, bypassing Russia, and is a major source of oil and gas.
A research report published in the journal Nature in April this year said that by the end of the century, the surface height of the Caspian Sea could drop by up to 18 meters and 34 percent of the sea surface could be lost.
The report also says that if the water level drops by even 5 to 10 meters, the ecosystem there, including the habitat of the Caspian seal and sturgeon fish, will be damaged.
Kozybakov, a member of the Civilian Advisory Committee of the Ministry of Ecology, said, “You don’t need research to understand that this sea is shrinking. It’s visible to the naked eye.”
The Caspian Sea, located between Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Iran, and Azerbaijan, is the world’s largest landlocked body of water. It is the fastest route from China to Europe, bypassing Russia, and a major source of oil and gas.
Over the years, Russia has built dams and reservoirs on the Volga River and used its water for agriculture and industry, resulting in much less water reaching the Caspian Sea.
Adilbek Kozybakov, ecologist
Many fear that the Caspian Sea may end up like the neighboring Aral Sea. The Aral Sea is located between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. In the 1960s, the Soviet Union began to use the water of various rivers to irrigate cotton fields, causing the Aral Sea to dry up. These rivers used to supply water to the Aral Sea. The Aral Sea is now only 10 percent of its original size. The shrinking water in the Aral Sea has had a negative impact on the local ecosystem and people.
The problems in the Caspian Sea are not just caused by climate change.
The Volga River in Russia supplies 80 to 85 percent of the Caspian Sea’s water, the largest and longest river in Europe. Experts say the sea’s water level is declining due to Russia’s water management.
“Year after year, Russia has built many dams and reservoirs on the Volga River. It is using its water for agriculture and industry. As a result, much less water is now reaching the Caspian Sea,” said Adilbek Kozybakov.
Adilbek added, “A hundred years ago, sturgeon fish lived for many years, no one caught them. Back then, they were so big that now they can only be seen in old pictures. Sturgeon fish are endangered due to the dominance of hunters and pollution from oil companies.”
The Caspian Sea is located between Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Iran, and Azerbaijan.File photo: AFP
Three major oil fields discovered during the Soviet era in Kazakhstan are now operated by foreign companies.
In February of this year, environmental lawyer Vadim Ni decided to sue his country’s government, launching a campaign called “Save the Caspian Sea.” He alleged that the government had kept secret the agreements it had made with foreign oil and gas companies, making it difficult to understand their environmental impact.
A research report published in the journal Nature says that by the end of this century, the surface height of the Caspian Sea could drop by up to 18 meters and 34 percent of the sea surface could be lost.
After Kazakhstan gained independence in the 1990s, large foreign companies and their lawyers, seeing the potential for oil and gas extraction in the country, tried to sign agreements with the Kazakh government. They negotiated the agreements with the government in such a way that they would fall under private international law and keep all information confidential. As a result, any disputes between the signatory countries to the agreement would have to be resolved in international arbitration, not in domestic courts.
According to Vadim Ni, this is unfair and contrary to international laws such as the Aarhus Convention, which states that environmental information should be open to the public.
Vadim Ni added, “Oil companies do not want their profits to decrease or their environmental responsibilities to increase. Companies often conduct environmental research to show that they are complying with the rules. However, since these studies have their own interests involved, there is reason to doubt how impartial and credible the results are.”
The court did not accept Ni’s case. The court said there was no basis for filing a case in this case. However, Ni said that even if his application is rejected, he will continue to try.
The struggle to save the Caspian Sea has already begun. In the city of Aktau, Kozybakov is working with local administration, residents, and various civil society organizations. At the same time, he is involved in the national environmental movement and is raising awareness on the issue.
“We want to start this awareness from the grassroots, so that the government understands that ordinary people are very concerned about the issues,” Kozybakov said. “Not only ecologists, but also ordinary residents of Aktau who grew up in this city are worried about the future of their children and grandchildren.”
Source: Prothom Alo
