The latest report prepared by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, one of the world’s most respected think tanks, based in the US, stated that Russia’s use of the Caspian Sea for military purposes and the reduction of water flow from the Volga River have caused great damage to its fragile ecosystem. According to the information in the report, Azerbaijan is one of the countries most affected by the environmental disaster. It is also stated that the issue will be brought to the agenda of the global public at the United Nations Climate Change Conference to be held in Baku in November.
MASS FISH DEATHS
According to the report, the significant effects of the ecosystem destruction in the Caspian Sea due to Russia’s environmental and foreign policies began to become apparent at the beginning of July. Researchers who examined the mass fish deaths that washed up on the shores of Azerbaijan concluded that Russia’s long-range guided ballistic rockets sent from its missile ships in the Caspian Sea to Ukraine caused a major environmental disaster in the region. The environmental reports prepared were sent to the relevant authorities in Russia, but no response was ever received to the reports. The Azerbaijan Biodiversity Agency concluded in its report that after military use, the water in the Caspian Sea has gradually warmed and the oxygen level has decreased.
THE SEA IS INFECTED
Similar reports were sent to the Kremlin from Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. The reports prepared by the environmental ministries of both countries concluded that hundreds of seals had washed up on the shores due to military use. Although Russia claimed that the deaths were due to “natural causes” In the final reports prepared in February 2023, it was stated that along with military activities, infections due to environmental pollution in the Caspian Sea increased.
SHOCK EFFECT
During this process, the opposition Russian press also shared with the public the information that the Kh-55 missiles and bomber planes used in the region were dragging the region into disaster. The media also reported that the missiles fired from ships in the region had shock effects that caused mass deaths at sea. According to the Russian press, Russia is violating the Caspian Convention and the Tehran Convention, which aim to preserve biodiversity and political stability in the region.
HE CUT OFF THE LIFE WATER
According to the report Russia’s diversion of the Volga River’s waters to its national territory in order to increase production during the agricultural crisis it is experiencing due to the war is also causing devastating consequences for the Caspian Sea. Four-fifths of the sea’s water comes from the Volga River. According to the report, the sea’s water level has reached a critical level. The report also states that Azerbaijan, which will host the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) in November, is expected to bring the major climate disaster to the global agenda.
MONTREUX HAS TIED HIS HANDS
Another interesting detail in the report is about Turkey. The report states that Russia, which cannot provide support to its Black Sea fleet from the open seas due to the Montreux Convention Regarding the Regime of the Straits, has mobilized its fleet in the Caspian Sea via the Volga-Don Canal.
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