According to Igor Shumakov, head of the Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring, the Caspian Sea is projected to experience a continued decline in water level over the next 3 - 5 years. This trend, which has already resulted in a two-meter decrease in depth over the past decade, poses a significant environmental challenge for the region.

Scientists actively develop climate models to predict future water level fluctuations and assess the potential economic repercussions for Caspian littoral states. The possibility of a subsequent rise in sea level, as observed in previous cycles, remains uncertain.

This ongoing decline threatens vital industries such as shipping and oil production in the Northern Caspian Sea, Zarema Soltanmuradova, Director of the Institute for Ecology and Sustainable Development at Dagestan State University says. Notably, the Caspian Sea's water level recedes ten times faster than the global average rise in sea levels attributed to climate change and glacial melt.