Geneva, 12 August 2010
- Renowned for its caviar among the world's
epicureans, the Caspian Sea boasts much
more wildlife than its famous
sturgeon fish. The world's largest enclosed
body of water is a unique ecosystem and
home to over 400 endemic species. But for
the last two decades, the Caspian Sea is
increasingly exposed to the threat of pollution
from agricultural run-off, oil and gas exploitation
and industrial waste.
Today, five countries
are celebrating "Caspian Day"
to highlight the environmental risks faced
by the sea and their effect on the wider
region.
Beach-cleaning activities,
conferences, thematic workshops, and concerts
will be held throughout the day in Azerbaijan,
Islamic Republic of Iran, Kazakhstan, Russian
Federation and Turkmenistan. The events
aim to show that protecting the marine environment
of the Caspian Sea is essential for improving
the living conditions of the 15 million
people living in the region.
The celebrations will
also mark the contribution made by the protection
of the Caspian Sea environment to peace
and stability in a region of global importance
for oil and gas exploration, exploitation
and transport.
Caspian Day marks the
entry into force of the Framework Convention
for the Protection of the Marine Environment
of the Caspian Sea. Known as the Tehran
Convention, the agreement was concluded
on 4 November 2003 and is still the only
legally binding agreement between the five
states.
The first two protocols
of the Tehran Convention have already been
negotiated and are ready for adoption. They
will introduce cooperation on preparation
and response measures for oil spills, as
well as common rules for dealing with the
environmental impact of activities with
potential trans-boundary effects.
It is expected that
the protocols will be ready for signature
when the Contracting Parties to the Tehran
Convention meet for the third time in Kazakhstan
in November 2010.
Caspian Day is also
meant to raise awareness and solicit public
engagement in conserving biodiversity and
reducing pollution from land based sources.
Binding protocols on these issues are in
the process of being finalised.
In addition, cooperation
between the environment community and the
fisheries sector will address declining
fish stocks and promote ecosystem resilience
as a way to sustain the 140 species of fish
living in the sea, sturgeon being one of
the most important.
UNEP is proud to provide
the secretariat services of the Tehran Convention
pending the decision of the Contracting
Parties on the location and arrangements
for these services in the region. Such a
decision was already called for by the presidents
of the Caspian countries when they met in
Tehran in October 2007 and is now urgently
needed, in order to seal the ownership of
the Convention process by the Caspian States.
The issue will be high on the agenda of
the Conference of the Parties of the Convention
when it convenes for the third time on 24
- 26 November 2010, in Astana, Kazakhstan.
"Increased oil
and gas production and transport, decline
in fisheries and biodiversity, impacts of
climate change - all these environmental
threats that the Caspian Sea is facing have
a strong impact on the daily lives of the
people around the Sea", said United
Nations Under-Secretary General and UNEP
Executive Director Achim Steiner. "UNEP
is proud and honoured to provide the secretariat
services to the Framework Convention on
the Protection of the Marine Environment
of the Caspian Sea, the Tehran Convention,
which aims to assist the Caspian States
to counter these threats and promote sustainable
development. Sustainable development, however,
is a matter for everyone. Caspian Day is
held to inform the public of the unique
and sensitive environment of the biggest
inland water body on Earth. It is only when
all stakeholders take responsibility and
when they are involved in decision-making
and environmental protection efforts, that
the Caspian region can prosper in a truly
sustainable manner".
At 1000km long, the
Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body
of water on Earth. It is a remnant of the
ancient ocean Tethis, which connected the
Atlantic and Pacific Oceans around 50 million
years ago. Around 130 rivers feed into the
Caspian Sea, the largest being the Volga.
Today's celebrations
will mark both the achievements and the
challenges of an ongoing process which should
keep the Caspian environment safe for generations
to come.
