Scientists from the Institute of Oceanology of the Russian Academy of Sciences have announced the rapid shrinking of the Caspian Sea: the water surface area decreased by 7.4% from 1996 to 2025, reports the website infohub.kz.
According to the study, from 1996 to 2025, the area of the Caspian Sea shrank by 28,644 square kilometers, or 7.4% of the 1996 area. The scientists noted that although the lost area is comparable to the territory of Albania, the rate of shrinkage is relatively small compared to the speed of water level drop. Since 1995, the Caspian Sea level has been falling by an average of about 10 centimeters per year, and over this period it has dropped by almost three meters.
"This has led to negative consequences: the shallowing of the Volga-Caspian shipping canal and all ports on the Caspian hinders navigation, and the sea is receding from populated areas," the researchers emphasized.
If the current trend continues, by the end of the 21st century the Caspian Sea level could drop another 2–21 meters. Lead author of the study, chief researcher at the institute Andrey Kostyanoy, noted: "We do not yet see a slowdown in the sea level decline; on the contrary, while from 2005 to 2019 the sea level decreased at an average rate of 8.16 centimeters per year, from 2020 to 2024 this rate increased to 22.7 centimeters per year."