COP29: University of Oulu researchers reported on the water balances at Caspian Sea and Balkhash Lake
In the Caspian Sea session, Ali Torabi Haghighi presented the latest research findings from their research, examining the potential impacts of changes in river inflow under two different climate change scenarios. The results indicated that the Caspian Sea’s water level could decrease by several meters, leading to the desiccation of the Northern Caspian Sea.
Such desiccation could result in profound socioeconomic and environmental consequences, including disruptions to ports and transportation, challenges for desalination efforts, loss of recreational areas, increased dust storms and associated health impacts, biodiversity loss, and weakened long-term socioeconomic resilience. Drawing lessons from the catastrophic shrinkage of the Aral Sea. These findings present a warning for urban centers like Baku and Astrakhan.
In the second session, Aziza Baubekova provided an overview of the water balance in Balkhash Lake, discussing its future under climate change and the eventual depletion of upstream glaciers.
"Without intervention, Balkhash Lake could face desiccation similar to that of the Aral Sea," said Aziza Baubekova.
Following this, Haghighi shared several examples of the consequences of lake desiccation in the Middle East and Central Asia, highlighting findings from the Water, energy, and environmental engineering research unit.