Leila Aliyeva participated in discussions on the environmental problems of the Caspian Sea within the framework of COP31

Within the framework of the 31st session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP31), in partnership with the IDEA Public Association and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), an event was organized on the topic "The Retreating Sea: Climate, Nature and People in the Caspian Region."

As reported by AZERTAC, speaking at the opening of the event, Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, founder and head of the IDEA Public Association Leyla Aliyeva noted that the decline in the Caspian Sea level threatens the existence of rare species living here, including sturgeon and Caspian seals. She emphasized the importance of expanding scientific research, international cooperation and joint activities to address the environmental problems of the sea.

Touching upon the projects implemented by the IDEA Public Association in this direction in her speech, Leyla Aliyeva reported that scientific expeditions were organized to determine the causes of the decline in the Caspian seal population, and fry of various fish species were released into water bodies to restore fish stocks.

Leyla Aliyeva also informed about IDEA's initiatives to clean the Caspian coastline. It was noted that approximately 7,000 volunteers joined the coastal cleanup campaigns conducted since 2011, and over 120 tons of waste were collected and sent for recycling. Emphasizing that the future of the Caspian Sea depends on the decisions made today, she called for protecting its rich nature for future generations.

Deputy Director General of IUCN Stewart Maginnis and Director of the Sustainable Energy Division of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Dario Liguti also spoke at the opening of the event.

Then, IDEA Public Association's expert on Caspian Research Elnur Safarov, representative of the University of Leeds, United Kingdom, Simon Goodman, founder and executive director of the Great Whale Conservancy Michael Fishbach, as well as representative of the University of Geneva, chair of the Caspisnet network Alexandre Hedjazi participated in the panel discussions.

During the discussions, opinions were exchanged on issues of climate factors affecting the decline in the Caspian Sea level, biodiversity conservation, adaptation of marine ecosystems to changing conditions and strengthening regional cooperation.

At the event, a short documentary film prepared by the IDEA Public Association, dedicated to the current environmental situation of the Caspian Sea, was screened.

Gallery