The level of the Caspian Sea dropped below the minimum for the entire observation period and amounted to less than minus 29 m according to the Baltic elevation system, the Volga-Caspian branch of the Caspian Fisheries Research Institute (KaspNIRH) reported.
This has led to significant changes in the shallow northern part of the sea, which washes the coasts of Russia and Kazakhstan, TASS reports.
The decline in the level of the Caspian Sea began in the mid-1990s, and since 2020 has amounted to almost 0.8 m. Shallowing occurs against the background of a decrease in the annual runoff of the Volga, the main source of water in the Caspian Sea.
It is also noted that due to the growth of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, the temperature rises, which leads to faster evaporation of water from the surface of the sea and rivers.
In addition, people actively use water for irrigation, as well as for the needs of industry and housing and communal services, which further reduces the water level in the rivers feeding the Caspian Sea.