Caspian Sea and its Ecological Challenges

Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on the earth. Since the collapse of Soviet Union in ۱۹۹۱ and discovering large oil and gas fields, some issues such as political, economic and environmental events, made the Caspian Sea important. The ecology of the Sea are being endangered due to several issues such as petroleum extraction, river and sea pollutions, water level rise, biological damages, decline of Caspian seals and lack of legal regime among the neighbors. Tremendous infrastructures have had serious impacts on the ecosystems around the Caspian Sea and have often imposed long term damages to the sea. Activities around the Caspian Sea endangered the balance of this very sensitive and fragile ecosystem. Large oil stains on the sea level and thousands of acres of soil contaminated by oil leaking from abandoned wells are some parts of the pollutions. Some people must endure to the Caspian borders. In addition, there are various pollution-related industries, especially chemical and mineral industries, large non-irrigated agricultural and also domestic wastes. These impurities in addition to the negative impact of oil have serious effects on human welfare and wildlife of the area. Ecological balance of the Caspian Sea is nearly going to be ruined (?fendieva & M. Dzhafarov ۱۹۹۳). The increase of pollutions in the area has made many problems. The negative effects of shipping activities, oil and gas extraction and oil transport through the sea, have always been problematic. Destruction of flora and fauna are of the consequences of pollution. Finally, exploitation of Caspian Sea oil and gas provide the new challenges about the ecosystem of the environment. The natural resources of environment are the source of potential wealth. So they can easily increase the conflict for example legal aspects between neighbors as well as the risk of security in the region.   REFERENCES Alizade H, (۲۰۰۴) Introduction to features of the Caspian Sea, Noorbacksh Press (In Persian). Amirahmadi B, (۱۹۹۶) The geography of the Caspian Sea, quarterly of the center for the study of Centeral Asia and the Caucasus, Foreign Ministry of Islamic Republic of Iran. ۵: ۱۴ (In Persian). Barannik, V, Borysova, O and Stolberg, F (۲۰۰۴) The Caspian Sea Region Environmental Change, Vol. ۳۳ No. ۱-۲ Cazenava, A P, Bonnefond, K, Dominh, and   Schaeffer P (۱۹۹۷) Caspian Sea level from Topex­ Poseidon altimetry: Level now falling, Geophys. Res. Lett. ۲۴, ۸۸۱-۸۸۴. Das Wiessenmagazin Scinexx (۲۰۰۹) « Am Kaspischen Meer », Springer (In Germany). Éfendieva, IM and Dzhafarov, M, (۱۹۹۳) Ecological probleme of the Caspian Sea. Plenum Publishing Corporation, ۱: ۲۲ – ۲۳. Éfendieva, IM (۱۹۹۴) Effect of Oil Recovery on Biological State of Azerbaijan Sea Coast of the Caspian Sea. Éfendieva, IM (۲۰۰۰) Ecological problems of oil exploitation in the Caspian Sea area Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering. ۲۸:  ۲۲۷-۲۳۱ Javadi HS, (۱۹۹۶) The Many Names of Caspian, The center for the Study of Central Asia and the Caucasus (Quarterly), Ministry of Foreign Affair, Islamic Republic of Iran.۵: ۱۴ Lahijani, H, (۱۹۹۷) Riverine sediments and Stability of Iranian Coast of the Caspian Sea, PhD Dissertation, Moscow, RAN, SCC CASPY. Maleki, A, (۱۹۹۶) Regional cooperation in the Caspian Sea environmental issues, inevitable necessity.  The Center for the Study of Central Asia and the Caucasus (Quarterly), Ministry of Foreign Affair, Islamic Republic of Iran, ۵: ۱۴ (In Persian). Monawari. S, M, (۱۹۹۰) Ecological situation of the Anzali Wetland, Gilkan Press, No. ۸-۱, Rasht, Iran (In Persian).   Nasrollazadeh A, (۱۹۹۹) Zur Süßwasserfauna des Gilan (Iran), Zoology in the middle East, Max Kasparek Verlag, Heidelberg, ۱۷ p. Naviri S, (۲۰۰۷) Creating a sperm bank for sturgeon breeders in the South Caspian Sea, Iranian Fisheries Research Organization (In Persian). Rodman B, (۱۹۹۶) Legal Aspects of the Environment of the Caspian Sea, The Center for the Study of Central Asia and the Caucasus (Quarterly), Ministry of Foreign Affair, Islamic Republic of Iran. ۵: ۱۴ Sari A, (۲۰۰۱) Invasive comb jelly Mnemiopsis leidyi and future of the Caspian Sea, Naghsh Mehr Press (In Persian). Schneider D, (۱۹۹۵) On the Level, Central Asia’s inland sea curiously rise or fall, Scientific American Press. ۲۷۳ p. Schütz E, (۱۹۶۲) Die Vogelwelt des Südkaspischen Tieflandes, Stuttgart, (In Germany). Simonett O, (۲۰۰۶) Vital Caspian Graphics; Challenges beyond caviar, United Nations Environment program and Caspian Environment Program, Publishing by Andishe Pouya. Vladimir P, Ivanov, A, Kamakin, M,  Vladimir B, Ushivtzev, T, Tamara Shiganova, T, Zhukova, O,  Aladin, N,  Wilson, SI,  Harbison, R, and Henri J (۲۰۰۰) Invasion of the Caspian Sea by the Comb Jellyfish Mnemiopsis Leidyi (Ctenophora) Dumont. Biological Invasions,  ۲: ۲۵۵-۲۵۸ Yazdani. M, (۱۹۹۶) Legal regime governing the sea closed attitude on the Caspian Sea, The Center for the Study of Central Asia and the Caucasus (Quarterly), Ministry of Foreign Affair, Islamic Republic of Iran, Vol.۵, No. ۱۴ Zeinolabedin, Y. Yahyapour, M.S. and Shirzad, Z (۲۰۰۹) Geopolitics and environmental issues in the Caspian Sea, Caspian Journal of Environmental Sciences, ۷: ۱۱۱-۱۲۱. Zenkevich, L.A. (۱۹۷۳) In: Biologia Morey SSSR,  Nauka,. ۷۳۹ p.

Keywords:

Caspian natural geography , Caspian pollution , Sea level fluctuation , petroleum