A fresh international effort to safeguard the Caspian Sea has received a significant boost after the World Bank approved funding for a wide-ranging environmental programme aimed at reversing years of ecological damage.
The initiative, known as “Blueing the Caspian Sea”, brings together Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan in a rare example of regional cooperation focused on protecting shared natural resources.
At its core, the programme aims to tackle pollution and preserve biodiversity in the world’s largest inland body of water - an ecosystem long under pressure from oil extraction, industrial waste and climate change.
The project will be supported by an $11.7 million grant from the Global Environment Facility, with implementation led jointly by the World Bank and the United Nations Environment Programme.
Additional resources will be directed towards early-stage planning, environmental safeguards and coordination between the three participating countries - an often overlooked but critical aspect of cross-border environmental work.
National governments are also contributing. Kazakhstan has already committed around $2.4 million to support scientific research on the Caspian through its national institute, while Azerbaijan is directing roughly $1.9 million towards climate adaptation efforts along its coastline under a programme backed by UN-Habitat.
For communities living along the Caspian shores, environmental decline is not an abstract issue. Falling fish stocks, pollution and coastal degradation have had tangible impacts on livelihoods, particularly in fishing and tourism.
The new programme aims to strengthen monitoring systems, improve pollution control and protect vulnerable species, while also helping countries to manage marine resources collectively rather than in isolation.
Plans also include national resilience projects designed to help coastal areas cope with the growing effects of climate change, such as rising temperatures and fluctuating water levels.
Beyond immediate environmental gains, the initiative is expected to support longer-term climate commitments made under the Tehran Convention, a regional agreement focused on safeguarding the sea’s ecosystem.
Officials hope the programme will mark a turning point, demonstrating how cooperation - not competition - can shape the future of the Caspian.
If successful, it could provide a model for other regions facing similar environmental challenges, where nature pays little attention to national borders, but solutions increasingly depend on them.
Israel is ready to move Palestinians from Gaza as soon as the U.S. approves, the country’s Defence Minister Israel Katz has said. He told a c...
U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will visit Russia then Ukraine over the weekend, Russian state news agency TASS has reported, citi...
U.S. efforts to squeeze Iran’s economy through an oil blockade and sanctions are becoming increasingly difficult for Tehran to withstand, acc...
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that he thinks there is a chance of a peace being reached with Ukraine. He told the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russia that he believed there was "a chance of finding a solution," to the conflict.
The Iranian Health Ministry said at least 18 people were killed and 142 others injured in U.S. airstrikes carried out between 30 August and 2 September.
The European Union's foreign policy chief Kaia Kallas says the bloc will tighten enforcement of sanctions against Russia over its war in Ukraine. EU foreign ministers were meeting in Ireland following renewed Russian strikes on cities across Ukraine.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for the 3rd of September, covering the latest developments.
U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will visit Russia then Ukraine over the weekend, Russian state news agency TASS has reported, citing an unnamed source. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has also said American envoys will visit the capitals of both countries.
A unique architectural monument dating back to the 9th to 12th centuries has been discovered in the village of Gargara, in the Korez village commune in Dangara district in Tajikistan.
Japan and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime have launched a $9.4 million, two-year project across five Afghan provinces to help former poppy-growing families and expand drug prevention and treatment services.
For centuries, Lahore has been shaped by the people, cultures and empires that passed through it. Now, the Pakistani city is preparing to put that rich history before a wider regional audience.
Israel is ready to move Palestinians from Gaza as soon as the U.S. approves, the country’s Defence Minister Israel Katz has said. He told a conference hosted by Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth on Wednesday that there was “no real solution” for Gaza without migration.
Flights between Central Asia and Russia have faced widespread disruption, with aircraft diverted, turned back or cancelled amid restrictions in Russian airspace and conflicting claims from Moscow and Kyiv over aviation safety.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment