The world's largest lake is shrinking so fast it may never recover

The Caspian Lake is shrinking rapidly, facing the risk of irreversible damage due to climate change and pollution.

The Caspian Sea, the world’s largest lake by area and volume, is shrinking at an alarming rate. In the coastal city of Aktau, Kazakhstan, environmental activist Azamat Sarsenbayev has watched as the water recedes, leaving bare ground where he used to swim every day.

Thousands of miles away in Iran, photographer Khashayar Javanmardi was also worried as he documented the changes in the Caspian Sea, where the water is becoming increasingly polluted, to the point of being unswimmable.

Both men feel a strong connection to the Caspian Sea but worry about the future of the world’s largest lake. The Caspian Sea, which is as large as the US state of Montana, is vital to the economies of the five countries that surround it: Kazakhstan, Iran, Azerbaijan, Russia and Turkmenistan. It provides water for agriculture, fishing, tourism and valuable oil and gas, while also helping to regulate the climate of this arid region.

An oil rig in the Caspian Sea in Baku, Azerbaijan, August 8, 2020. (Photo: Getty Images)

However, dam construction, overexploitation and, most importantly, the climate crisis have caused the Caspian Sea’s water level to drop sharply since the mid-1990s. According to Matthias Prange, a researcher at the University of Bremen (Germany), the water level could drop by 7.8 to 17.7 meters by the end of this century if the world does not quickly cut emissions. In a more pessimistic scenario, the lake’s water level could drop by nearly 30 meters, turning the northern part – a shallow sea near Kazakhstan – into a barren land.

This degradation not only affects the economy but also threatens the endemic wildlife, especially the Caspian seal and wild sturgeon - the source of world-famous caviar. In addition, the decline in water levels also causes a lack of oxygen, threatening the lives of many creatures that can only exist here.

The port city of Aktau, Kazakhstan, on the shores of the Caspian Sea on September 1, 2024. (Photo: Getty Images)

The shrinking Caspian Sea is causing concern among leaders. At the COP29 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, global leaders will discuss climate change adaptation. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has warned of ecological disaster from the degradation of the Caspian Sea while continuing to expand fossil fuel production.

Meanwhile, activists like Sarsenbayev and Javanmardi have continued to draw public attention to the "tragedy" of the Caspian Sea through their images and stories, raising awareness about the importance of protecting the world's largest lake.

Source: https://giadinh.suckhoedoisong.vn/ho-nuoc-lon-nhat-the-gioi-thu-hep-nhanh-den-muc-kho-co-the-phuc-hoi-172241028073859616.htm