The Caspian Sea is a unique natural reservoir on our planet. It is a land-locked water body located on the border of two large parts of the continent of Eurasia. The biological diversity of the Caspian Sea and its coastal zone makes the region one of the most valuable ecosystems in the world.
Today, many species in the Caspian Sea are threatened by over-exploitation, habitat degradation, pollution, and climate change and this negatively affects human well-being, social and economic sectors, and environmental services.
Pollution is the most serious issue of this vast sea and its enclosed environment. The coastlines of the Caspian are shared by Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkmenistan, and about 122,000 tons of pollutants from these littoral countries are dumped into the Caspian Sea annually. Oil pollution, domestic and industrial wastewater, nuclear pollution, medical and agricultural pollution are the most significant pollutions recorded. Although this sea is being polluted, it is still the first destination for migrants inside Iran who are forced to leave their homes due to climate change.
So this great and important ecosystem is facing a global catastrophe. And it seems that all five littoral countries have decided to turn this sea into a swamp where they can bury all their waste.