Iran proposes plan to address shrinking Caspian Sea water levels

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian presented a proposal to address the shrinking water level of the Caspian Sea during an extraordinary Environmental Summit of the Heads of Caspian Sea Littoral States held in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, on Friday. In his speech, Pezeshkian emphasized that any action must be taken within the framework of the Tehran Convention, asserting that no single country can save the inland body of water on its own. He welcomed the summit's decision to establish a high-level commission composed of deputies of the heads of government of the littoral states to handle Caspian Sea-related issues.

Pezeshkian highlighted multiple crises, geopolitical rivalries, wars, unilateral sanctions, and the absence of multilateralism, stressing that environmental cooperation can serve as a vital link for building trust and fostering convergence among regional nations. He stated that the environment must not fall victim to political and economic rivalries or extra-regional interference, and urged littoral states to determine the fate of the Caspian Sea by leveraging their own scientific, technical, financial, and human capacities within a regional cooperation framework.

The Iranian president identified the Framework Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea, known as the Tehran Convention and signed in 2003, as the most important legally binding regional mechanism for protecting and preserving the Caspian Sea environment. He pointed to the historic responsibility regarding one of the world's most valuable natural heritages and warned that serious and escalating threats—such as a drop in water levels, climate change, rising air and water temperatures, oil and industrial pollution, and the destruction of natural habitats—must not be ignored.

According to Pezeshkian, the Caspian is an interconnected ecosystem, and any damage to one part affects the entire body of water, requiring shared political will and coordinated action from littoral states, with full respect for each other's national sovereignty and legitimate interests. He urged participants to prove to future generations that the littoral states stood together and cooperated to save the Caspian Sea when faced with a shared crisis. He added that environmental diplomacy is needed more than ever, and the Caspian can serve as a successful example of nations cooperating on shared interests. The report by Mehr News added that the summit aimed to address these environmental challenges collectively.