TRANSBOUNDARY DIAGNOSTIC ANALYSIS FOR THE CASPIAN SEA Volume Two THE CASPIAN ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME BAKU, AZERBAIJAN September 2002 Caspian Environment Programme Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis Table of Contents Volume Two 1.0 THE CASPIAN SEA AND ITS SOCIAL, ECONOMIC AND LEGAL SETTINGS ..... 1 1.1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 PHYSICAL AND BIOGEOCHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CASPIAN SEA ...................... 3 1.3 SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND DEVELOPMENT SETTING .............................................................. 23 1.4 LEGAL AND REGULATORY SETTING .................................................................................. 39 2.0 MAJOR TRANSBOUNDARY PERCEIVED PROBLEMS AND ISSUES .................... 50 2.1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................. 50 2.2 STAKEHOLDER ANALYSIS ................................................................................................ 51 2.3 DECLINE IN CERTAIN COMMERCIAL FISH STOCKS, INCLUDING STURGEON: STRONGLY TRANSBOUNDARY. ............................................................................................................ 59 2.4 DEGRADATION OF COASTAL LANDSCAPES AND DAMAGE TO COASTAL HABITATS: STRONGLY TRANSBOUNDARY. ........................................................................................... 69 2.5 THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY: STRONGLY TRANSBOUNDARY. .............................................. 74 2.6 OVERALL DECLINE IN ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY: STRONGLY TRANSBOUNDARY. ........... 79 2.7 DECLINE IN HUMAN HEALTH: WEAKLY TRANSBOUNDARY. ............................................. 105 2.8 DAMAGE TO COASTAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND AMENITIES: WEAKLY TRANSBOUNDARY. 115 2.9 INVASIVE AND INTRODUCED SPECIES: STRONGLY TRANSBOUNDARY. ............................ 122 2.10 CONTAMINATION FROM OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS ACTIVITIES: STRONGLY ¶TRANSBOUNDARY. ......................................................................................................... 125 29-Jun-15 2:38 PM Caspian Environment Programme Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis List of Figures Volume Two Figure 1.2-1 The Caspian Sea ...................................................................................................... 4 Figure 1.2-2 Caspian Sea Water Levels ...................................................................................... 7 Figure 1.2-3 Caspian Sea Evaporation, 1900-1994 ..................................................................... 9 Figure 1.2-4 Changes in the Elements of the Water Balance and Water Level of the Caspian Sea, 1990-1998 ..................................................................................................... 11 Figure 1.3-1 Relative Population Map....................................................................................... 24 Figure 1.3-2 Relative Gross Domestic Product ......................................................................... 26 Figure 2.3-1 Estimated Total Stock of Commercial Fishes in the Caspian Sea (excluding Iran) ..................................................................................................... 61 Figure 2.1-2 Sturgeon Catch 1929-1998 (tonnes/year) ............................................................. 62 Figure 2.3-4 Aquaculture production in the USSR and CIS countries (FAO) .......................... 66 Figure 2.4-1 Desertification ....................................................................................................... 69 Figure 2.4-2 Regional Desertification Map ............................................................................... 70 Figure 2.4-3 Desertification in the Caspian Region .................................................................. 71 Figure 2.6-1 Inorganic Lead in Sediments ................................................................................ 84 Figure 2.6-2 A large oil slick in the western Caspian off Baku ................................................ 85 Figure 2.6-3 Pollution Hot Spots ............................................................................................... 91 Figure 2.6-4 Uranium in Sediments........................................................................................... 92 Figure 2.6-5 Network of Hydrometeorological Stations for the Caspian Sea ........................... 96 Figure 2.6-6 Mercury in Sediments ........................................................................................... 99 Figure 2.6-7 DDT in Sediment ................................................................................................ 100 Figure 2.6-8 DDT in Seal Tissue ............................................................................................. 102 Figure 2.6-9 Seal Mortality...................................................................................................... 103 Figure 2.7-2 Life expectancy at birth (average and Caspian coast) and (years) ...................... 107 Figure 2.7-1 Caspian Coastal Region ...................................................................................... 109 Figure 2.8-1 Water level fluctuations ...................................................................................... 115 Figure 2.8-2 Potential for coastal inundation (CEP 2001, Schrader) ....................................... 118 Figure 2.8-3 Caspian Region Earthquake Locations ............................................................... 119 Figure 2.9-1 Mnemiopsis leidyi ............................................................................................... 122 Figure 2.10-1 A history of exploitation ..................................................................................... 125 Figure 2.10-2 Danger of leaks .................................................................................................... 126 List of Boxes Volume Two Box 1 Kara Bogaz Gol............................................................................................................... 9 Box 1 Kara Bogaz Gol............................................................................................................. 10 Box 2 Sturgeon ........................................................................................................................ 17 Box 3 Caspian Seal .................................................................................................................. 18 Box 4 Mnemiopsis leidyi ......................................................................................................... 22 29-Jun-15 2:38 PM Caspian Environment Programme Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis List of Tables Volume Two Table 1.2-1 Summary of Caspian Sea Characteristics ............................................................. 12 Table 1.2-2 Invasive Species of the Caspian Sea (Aladin 2001, Mitrofanov 2000) ................ 21 Table 1.4-1 Summary of International Environmental Agreements Ratified By Caspian Littoral States ........................................................................................................ 46 Table 2.2-1 Stakeholder Group Prioritization of MPPI ........................................................... 57 Table 2.2-2 Stakeholder Groups Prioritization of Root Causes ............................................... 58 Table 2.3-1 Average Annual Caspian Fish Catch CIS Countries 1910-1998 and Iran 1927- 1998 (thousand tonnes per year and percent of change compared to 1932-1959 60 Table 2.3-2 Estimated annual juvenile sturgeon release by three hatcheries in Azerbaijan .... 65 Table 2.3-3 Annual juvenile sturgeon release in Iran .............................................................. 65 Table 2.3-4 Annual juvenile sturgeon release in Kazakhstan ................................................. 65 Table 2.3-5 Annual juvenile sturgeon release in the Volga River, former USSR and Russia 65 Table 2.4-1 Areas Subject to Heavy and Very Heavy Degree of Desertification .................... 72 Table 2.5-1 List of Approximate Numbers* of Species, Endemic Species, Alien Species, and Listed Species in Different Biota Groups ............................................................. 74 Table 2.5-2 Spawning Grounds of Sturgeon ............................................................................ 75 Table 2.6-1 Data and Information Availability and Reliability ............................................... 80 Table 2.6-2 Air Emission Inventory for Absheron Peninsula including Baku and Sumgait ... 88 Table 2.6-3 Pollution load from rivers, municipalities and industry in Caspian Sea as well as each country .......................................................................................................... 89 Table 2.6-4 Pollution Hot Spots ............................................................................................... 90 Table 2.6-5 Nuclear Reactors in the Caspian Sea Vicinity ...................................................... 93 Table 2.6-6 Nuclear Fuel Processing Facilities, Radons, and Other Potential Sources of Radioactive Pollution in the Caspian Sea ............................................................. 94 Table 2.7-1 Survival Rates (UNDP Human Development Report 2001) .............................. 106 Table 2.7-2 Leading Global Health Crises and Challenges (UNDP Human Development Report 2001) ......................................................................................................