Bonn: Leyla Aliyeva participated in a high-level panel discussion in Bonn, Germany, focusing on the environmental impact of the Caspian Sea's declining water level. The event, titled 'Declining Seas, Retreating Shorelines and Sustainability and the Future of Enclosed Water Bodies: The Case of the Caspian Sea,' was organized as part of the United Nations June Climate Meetings (SB64), which took place from June 8 to 16.
According to Azeri-Press news agency, the discussion was initiated by Leyla Aliyeva and organized jointly by the IDEA Public Union, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the COP29 Azerbaijan Presidency, and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Aliyeva highlighted the vulnerability of seas, rivers, and lakes and discussed the challenges arising from the Caspian Sea's declining water levels. She emphasized the necessity of knowledge-based solutions and long-term dedication to address these issues. Aliyeva also mentioned initiatives by the IDEA Public Union, such as waterbody clean-up campaigns, fish restocking programs, and the 'One Drop' project, aimed at promoting responsible water resource management.
Simon Stiell, Executive Secretary of UNFCCC; Fatma Varank, CEO of COP31 and Deputy Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change of Turkey; and Ana Toni, CEO of COP30, highlighted the importance of maintaining international focus on the Caspian Sea's challenges and the ecological sustainability of endorheic water bodies in the global climate agenda.
The event featured a panel session with participants including Yalchin Rafiyev, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan; Martin Krause, Director of UNEP's Climate Change Division; Michael Fishbach, Founder and Executive Director of the Great Whale Conservancy; Elnur Safarov, expert at IDEA Public Union; Aziza Baubekova, researcher at the Kazakh Research Institute of the Caspian Sea and University of Oulu, Finland; and Kamala Huseynli, Head of SPECA MPTF at UNECE. They discussed the environmental, scientific, and socio-economic effects of the Caspian Sea's shrinking water levels and emphasized the importance of sharing scientific knowledge and forming new partnerships.
The event included the screening of a short documentary on the Caspian Sea's environmental challenges and concluded with an interactive Q and A session.