CASPIAN CRISIS

The environmental condition of the Caspian Sea is critical today and this issue becomes even more pressing in summer. The Azerbaijani Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources has said many times that it does not recommend visits to many of the beaches in Azerbaijan because of significant pollution. And the results of monitoring conducted by the Azerbaijani Centre for Hygiene and Epidemiology showed that microbiological contamination of beaches in Baku, Sumqayit and Abseron was very high. It is forbidden, therefore, to enter the water on the beaches of Suvalan, Mardakan, Six, Sahil (Qaradag area) and the stretch of beach from Corat to Haci Zeynalabdin (suburbs of Sumqayit). But microbiological indicators and counts of intestinal bacteria are only half of the problem. According to the ministry, the main sources of contamination in the Caspian are industrial waste from shore-based facilities and various types of waste from oil wells.

Sea in trouble

"At present, the number of people living on the shores of the Caspian Sea is about 15 million and their jobs are mostly connected with the sea, which of course affects the marine environment. The Caspian Sea is the only one in the world with a large reserve of sturgeon - almost 95% of the world's total. And we all know that sturgeons produce black caviar, which is very highly valued on the international market.

"Most of the world's black caviar is produced by the Caspian coastal nations. However, black caviar is not the sea's only treasure. In terms of its oil and gas potential, the Caspian Sea has some of the richest hydrocarbon deposits in the world. But all this only aggravates the environmental problems here," Mirsalam Qambarov, head of the Environment and Natural Resource Ministry department for comprehensive monitoring of the Caspian Sea, said in an interview with R+.

Environmental research shows that the Caspian Sea is similar to other drainless water bodies in that its problems are common: depletion of natural resources, man-made and soil ecosystems and pollution of the marine environment. The latter is considered the most serious and significant problem.

"The situation with fishing in the Caspian Sea was critical, in terms of sanitation and toxicity, even before the dissolution of the Soviet Union. In 1992, the Volga basin and the Caspian shoreline were called an 'environmental disaster area.' The main sources of pollution in the Caspian Sea were untreated industrial and agricultural waste, inland and sea navigation, and development of ground and marine oil and gas deposits. In addition, the rivers which run into the sea also 'contribute' a great deal to the pollution of the Caspian: they bring 40-45 cubic kilometres of polluted water into the Caspian, of which 60% comes from the Volga. If the pollutants were spread evenly over the entire surface of the Caspian, they would accrue a 10-11 centimetre thick layer every year. The Kura river, which brings to the Caspian water polluted in Georgia and poisoned in Armenia, also has a negative effect on the sea. According to the latest data, every year the Kura brings to the sea 4,000 tons of oil waste products, 28,000 tons of suspended particles, 500-550,000 tons of dry residue, 74,000 tons of sulphates, 155,000 tons of chlorides, 300,000 tons of active chemical substances, 5,000 tons of phenol and other dangerous chemical compounds. Among the cities which pollute the Caspian are Baku, Sumqaiyt, Makhachkala, Astrakhan, Turkmenbashi, Anzali and Resht. Oil wells and tanker vessels also play their part," said Mr. Qambarov.

Samples taken from the bottom contain oil products, phenols and, in some areas, even quicksilver. Baku bay is the most polluted area, which might eventually lead to the total extermination of marine micro-organisms and fauna. The water reservoirs in the Kura and Volga basins also have a negative effect on the sea. And the fluctuations in the water level of the sea change its salinity; for example, when the water is low, the salinity rises. This reduces the area suitable for the feeding and breeding of fish in littoral areas. The most polluted and environmentally critical areas of the sea are the Baku, Sumqayit, Makhachkala and Turkmenbashi basins and the areas containing oil wells.

The bay shall not "die"

The sea still has some capacity for self-purification. But there are other causes of pollution which cannot be stopped. Waste accumulates mainly on the surface of the water and forms "water-atmosphere zones," which are the main pollutants of the biologically most important areas of the sea. The most dangerous pollutants in the Caspian Sea are industrial wastes containing oil hydrocarbons, chlorine compounds and heavy metals. They have transformed the Caspian into a global problem, although the situation of oil pollution has improved considerably over the last two or three years - among other reasons, because of broadening cooperation between the Environment Ministry, the State Oil Corporation and BP, who develop local oil deposits. Under a joint programme, some 2,000 tons of metal constructions and sunken ships have been raised from the bottom. It has to be said that Azerbaijan has more than once urged the Caspian nations to deal with the environmental problems collectively, because no country can tackle them alone. But there is an aggravating factor: the countries have not yet reached agreement on the best way of using the biological resources of the sea. "Our country was one of the first in the region to start building a local system of water treatment facilities to protect its waters from pollution," said Mr. Qambarov.

The local system will mainly cover the northern parts of the Abseron Peninsula. Four modular facilities have already been installed in the coastal areas near the villages of Suvalan, Mardakan and Bilgah and are working in test mode. By the end of this year, similar facilities will be put into operation in the Bilgah-Pirsagi area and on Pirallahi Isle. The Buzovna and Suvalan facilities, which are owned by the Azersu Company, will continue to function normally. The main goal of the local system is the prevention of waste and sewer waters from the suburbs from entering the sea. Resolving this problem today is the most pressing issue, because the villages of the Abseron Peninsula are growing rapidly and the environmental situation there is worsening dramatically because of the absence of water treatment facilities. The modular facilities will continue to operate until a centralized sewage system is created to cover all the villages in Abseron. Work on this has already started. True, the situation has improved a little over the last two or three years. But the time has come for a comprehensive solution to the problem. There are five countries around the Caspian Sea. Pollution from any of them affects the environmental situation in all the other countries. And mobile water treatment facilities, like the one on the Abseron coast, will help accelerate the process of the self-purification of the sea.