Documents

The paper is presented by the author in her personal capacity and opinions expressed in this paper should be attributed to the author.  They are not mean to represent the positions or opinions of the UNEP or the State Parties to the Framework Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea.

The Caspian Sea is the largest completely enclosed body of salt water in the world and constitutes a particularly fragile ecosystem. It contains great fishery resources, including 90% of the world’s stock of sturgeon, as well as vast oil and gas deposits in the subsoil. It is crossed by important transportation routes connecting Europe and Central Asia. For much of the twentieth century it was within the exclusive domain of Iran and the USSR, with the latter enjoying naval dominance. With the collapse of the Soviet Union the geopolitical situation in the region changed significantly. Instead of two, there are currently five riparian states – Russia, Iran, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan – each filing differing legal claims.

Монография представляет собой эколого-фаунистическую сводку научно-популярного характера о животном мире Туркменистана и вопросам его охраны. Книга содержит обобщающие и детальные сведения по истории изучения позвоночных животных, особенностям среды их обитания, составу, эколого-фаунистическим и зоогеографическим характеристикам, о роли позвоночных животных в экосистемах и жизни человека, биологическом разнообразии, его охране в целом и в частностях, включая систему особо охраняемых природных территорий Туркменистана.

Strategy for Civil Society Engagement in the Protection of the Caspian Sea Marine Environment was presented at the COP3 in Aktau, Kazakhstan, 10–12 August 2011. It contains an analysis and a number of recommendations to improve access to information and participation in decision-making and action towards the implementation of the Tehran Convention and its Protocols at the local, national and regional levels.

The Caspian Sea, abundant with natural living and fossil resources, its coastal areas home to more than 15 million people, faces a series of environmental challenges.

This State of the Caspian Sea Environment Report should be seen and considered as a first try out and starting point towards the creation of a shared environmental information system promoting and securing data collection, monitoring, analysis, harmonization and public communication in support of full implementation of the Tehran Convention and its protocols. We hope that it will improve the Caspian information base, enhance the quality, accessibility and relevance of data and ultimately, contribute to strengthening the regional environmental governance framework.

The Caspian Sea SoE 1 Report in higher resolution can be dowloaded here. 

Информционная газета ТОО "Тенгизшевройл"

В данной работе рассмотрена методика создания распределен-ной геоинформационной системы (на основе WEB технологий) для наблюдений экологического состояния прибрежных территорий аква-тории казахстанской части Каспийского моря. ГИС использует данные аэро-космосъемки, картографических и аналитических данных.

Каспийй теңізінде ауланған балықтардың 15 түрін ихтиопатологиялық зерттеу нәтижелері бойынша Anisakidae тұқымдасы жататын Anisakis, Contracaecum,Porrocecum тоғышарларының жаппай таралуы анықталады. 

Национальный доклад о состоянии окружающей среды в Республике Казахстан в 2010 году

Statistical data of the Republic of Kazakhstan

статья КазНУ Вестник

Информирование о состоянии окружающей среды на территории Республики Казахстан и оценка эффективности мероприятий в области охраны окружающей среды 

This Regional Water Quality Monitoring Programme has been developed as part of the project “Caspian Water Quality Monitoring and Action Plan for Areas of Pollution Concern’s (Caspian MAP)”. This project has been financed by the Tacis Programme of the European Union (EU) which amongst others promotes regional co-operation on environmental protection. On of the main objectives of the Caspian MAP is to support the Caspian Environment Programme (CEP), which is a partnership between the five littoral states - Azerbaijan, Islamic Republic of Iran, Kazakhstan, Russian Federation and Turkmenistan, and International Partners like EU, UNDP, UNEP, and the World Bank. The CEP's mission is to assist the Caspian littoral states to achieve the goal of environmentally sustainable development and management of the Caspian environment for the sake of long-term benefit for the Caspian inhabitants.

The Regional Pollution Action Plan for the Caspian Sea (RPAP), has been prepared as part of the project “Caspian Water Quality Monitoring and Action Plan for Areas of Pollution Concern’s (hereafter: Caspian MAP)”. The project is financed by the Tacis Programme of the European Union (EU), which has as one of its objectives the promotion of regional co-operation on environmental protection. The overall objective of the Caspian MAP is to achieve improved quality of the marine and coastal environment of the Caspian Sea. In particular, the RPAP (current Report) provides recommendations to regional strategies for pollution reduction, with a focus on the identified Areas of Pollution Concern. The Caspian MAP also developed a proposal for a Regional Water Quality Monitoring Program.

This study is an attempt to develop an integrated methodology to predict the impact of the Caspian Sea on flooding using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and hydrodynamic modeling. A rise in the sea level might lead to major flooding events, and have a severe impact on the spatial development of cities and regions. The feasibility of simulating a flood event along a drain channel is evaluated near residential development areas along the Chapakroud drain.

The study shows that at these elevations environmental and social problems arise with regards to the drain. The results also indicate that GIS is an effective tool for floodplain visualization and analysis. It should be noted that the mixture of salt and soft water, as a result of rising sea water level, is a problem that was not investigated in this study and should be examined in the future. 

Daily extractions of crude oil and gas and transportation of them are the main pollution sources of the Caspian Sea. Many trucks for charring oil from ports along the Caspian Sea are considered as point and nonpoint sources along the seaboard. In addition, many ships, which are navigating in the Sea, are emitting pollution to the Sea. Many cities and industries surround the Caspian Sea. Pollution from these cities and industries enter the Caspian Sea either directly or through rivers. The purpose of this paper is to look at the benefits of environmental management strategies in pollution prevention such as waste minimization and clean technologies. This minimizes the environmental problems due to waste generation and eliminates the cost of treatment and disposal of the waste. The benefits of the environmental management program along the Caspian Sea will ensure the clean water and the better environment of the Sea. 

The main focus of review: To determine the Status of invasive species with special attention to the most aggressive invader Mnemiopsis leidyi in the Caspian Sea.

Objectives:

1. To assess vectors, pathways of invasive species introduction, their composition and their role in the Caspian ecosystem.

2. To analyze seasonal and interannual dynamics of the Mnemiopsis leidyi population in the all areas of the Caspian Sea; its impacts on the Caspian ecosystem including food recourses (zooplankton) and fish stocks along with other emerging environmental threats such as increased nutrient load from the coast, structural and quantitative changes in phyto-and-zooplankton communities, the appearance of harmful algal bloom (HAB) in the Southern Caspian.

3. To prepare recommendations for follow-up actions on invasive species management: - for the protection and control of the Caspian Sea from any sources of accidental invasive species introductions - for possibility of biological control of invader Mnemiopsis leidyi.

The primary source of this Review has been national reports from every of the five Caspian littoral countries, which included results of national observations of ecosystem state and biodiversity of the Caspian Sea. But due to fragmental data of the national observations on invasive species

The calculations were made using the MARKAL modeling tool and were based on strategic development plans for different economic sectors. The Communication assesses electricity saving potential in respect of energy efficiency and lower carbon intensity. It also reflects the possible costs related to GHG emissions reduction measures in all economic sectors.

For the first time in Kazakhstan we have analysed the influence of climate change on forests and human health, as well as the data on mudflow activity and the change in glaciers. For climate change calculations, we used the data of the hottest decade (1995- 2005) combined with unified WMO methodology and climate change indices. Climate change scenaria were developed using the most recent ocean-atmosphere circulation models.

Nurgali Ashimov
Minister of Environment Protection Republic of Kazakhstan 

Technical Summary

Sampling was conducted from the vessel Svetlomor 2 by personnel from AmC, the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources (MENR) and SOCAR. Sediment samples for physical and chemical analysis consisted of 2 replicates, while 3 replicates were taken for biological analyses. Analyses were carried out at AmC Caspian Environmental Laboratory.

In general the survey stations around the SDX-5 well site were found to have well sorted very fine silt sediments with low variation in metal and hydrocarbon concentrations.

Relationships were found to be present between metals Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb and Zn. With the exception of phenols all hydrocarbon parameters were interrelated, with the proportions of UCM and NPD indicating that all hydrocarbons present were weathered.

The macrobenthic community had a low abundance and species richness and was characteristic of the area and depth. Overall no relationship was found to exist between any of the measured variables and the community structure, with the low species richness and abundance likely being due to the depth of the survey area exceeding 500m.

Comparison to previous baseline data indicated change at one station adjacent to the well location. Samples from this station indicated the presence of WBM contaminated drill cuttings, with coarser grained sediments, very high concentrations of Ba and the absence of the metal relationships evident at all other stations.

Hydrocarbon analysis of samples from this position revealed an LAO signature indicating the presence of SBM in addition to the WBM. These samples also had a high proportion of NPD which suggests the likely presence of cuttings contaminated with LAO and also reservoir fluids.

LAO was detected in one other sample and two stations had slightly elevated concentrations of Ba.