Sea cruises along the Baku boulevard infeasible due to global warming

Caspian Sea and global warming

Recently, it became known that this summer, residents of Baku will be deprived of one of their favorite pastimes – sea cruises. They have not been conducted since 2022. Both excursion boats used for this purpose are anchored.

According to a statement from the seaside boulevard department’s press service, the reason for this is the decrease in the level of the Caspian Sea and the water’s retreat from the shore. “After discussions with the relevant authorities, a new route for the boats may be determined. We also want them to resume operations,” the statement said.

One of the security guards working on the boulevard says he has to answer questions about the boats 30-40 times a day.

“An increase in the water level in the Caspian Sea is not expected”

According to experts, global climate change plays a significant role in the decrease of water levels in the Caspian Sea.

“The water level has been decreasing since 2000,” says ecologist Sadig Hasanov.

“The Caspian Sea is located below the global sea level, and since 2000, this decrease has continued.

There are various reasons for this. Of course, one of the main ones is global climate change. Evaporation in the Caspian Sea has increased due to abnormal rises in air temperature. At the same time, water reserves throughout the country have decreased, and water consumption in agriculture has increased significantly. The Kura River no longer reaches the Caspian Sea. Sometimes, on the contrary, there is an outflow of water from the Caspian Sea into the Kura.

Furthermore, one of the main water sources for the Caspian Sea is the Volga River, the water level of which has significantly decreased.

All these factors together create the current situation.”

Sadig Hasanov adds that there is no hope for an increase in the water level in the Caspian Sea in the near future.

“Based on my research on this topic, the situation in the Caspian Sea will remain the same for some time. Only one out of 20 scientific articles I reviewed as part of the study is positive about the Caspian Sea’s water level increasing in the coming years. Another 19 articles and satellite data indicate that the water level in the Caspian Sea will not only fail to increase but will continue to decrease. This is because, as I mentioned earlier, climate change, population growth, and indirectly water consumption will lead to a reduction in the resources supplying water to the Caspian.”

It seems that if the water level in the Caspian Sea does not rise, maritime excursions will not resume in the near future.