Kazakhstan to open Caspian Sea research institute as water levels drop
New research center will study climate and human impact on shrinking sea shared by five nations, as level falls 26 cm in one year
ASTANA, Kazakhstan (MNTV) — Kazakhstan will open a dedicated Caspian Sea Research Institute within the next month as concerns mount over the shrinking of the world’s largest inland body of water. The facility will monitor the sea’s condition, investigate causes of its falling water levels, and propose strategies to protect the fragile ecosystem.
The Caspian, shared by Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Russia, Iran, and Azerbaijan, has been steadily receding due to a combination of climate change, reduced river inflow, and human exploitation.
Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources says the water level fell by 26 centimeters in the past year alone — a rate scientists warn could have severe economic and ecological consequences for the region. According to Silk Way TV, officials outlined the plan at an international environmental conference in Astana.
The new institute will examine the role of industrial activity, coastal development, and water use along feeder rivers such as the Volga and Ural. Specialists will also assess the impact on fisheries, biodiversity, and local communities whose livelihoods depend on the Caspian.
Similar challenges have already devastated other inland seas in Central Asia, most notably the Aral Sea, which has lost more than 90 percent of its surface area since the 1960s.
The Kazakh government has allocated about 850 million tenge ($1.6 million) for equipment and operations in the institute’s first phase.
Local budget funds are already being used to procure monitoring tools, with additional financing from the state budget set to cover staff salaries, facilities, and further technical needs. “Significant support from the local administration has allowed us to move quickly,” said Daulet Yesmagambetov, a department head at the Ministry of Ecology.
Experts stress that the Caspian’s decline cannot be addressed by one country alone. Because the sea has no outlet, its water balance depends almost entirely on inflow from surrounding rivers and evaporation rates, both of which are affected by climate patterns and upstream usage in multiple states.
The Caspian supports unique marine life, including the critically endangered Caspian seal and valuable sturgeon stocks that fuel the global caviar trade. Falling water levels threaten to alter salinity, disrupt spawning grounds, and accelerate the collapse of already stressed fish populations.
Kazakhstan hopes the new institute will become a regional hub for research, data-sharing, and joint projects aimed at reversing or mitigating the decline.
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