Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, April 17 / Trend H. Hasanov /
The meeting of authorized representatives of Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia and Turkmenistan on environmental security of the Caspian Sea in Azerbaijan completes its work on Wednesday.
The meeting to discuss the draft agreement on the prevention of natural and man-made disasters in the Caspian Sea and in the coastal zones and elimination of consequences was organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the State Enterprise for the Caspian Sea under the President of Turkmenistan.
The draft agreement on cooperation in this field has been developed by the Turkmen side in accordance with the initiative of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov expressed during the third summit of the Caspian states held in Baku (Azerbaijan) in November 2010.
There are a number of prerequisites for possible pollution of the Caspian Sea. Among those are the development of hydrocarbon reserves in the sea and the surrounding areas, the high density of population and industry in the adjacent areas, intensive agricultural development in the valleys of rivers flowing into it, the lack of the 'river-sea' explicit geochemical barrier and a closed basin.
The Caspian Sea is the world's largest inland water reservoir of climate generating importance not linked with any world ocean. It is unique for preserving various relict flora and fauna, including the world's largest shoal of sturgeon (90 per cent of the world's supply).
The Caspian Sea is also the main migration route and habitat for waterfowl and shore birds. The shallow waters and coastal wetlands are highly productive areas and important habitat for marine organisms, such as fish, seals and birds of international importance.