Environmental impact assessment in the Caspian region

Abstract

Background. The current state and pressures associated with the anthropogenic impact on the Caspian region environment are examined. Surrounded by five coastal countries, including the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Caspian Sea is the world’s largest endorheic water body. The isolation of the Caspian Sea, which is characterized by special climatic conditions and salinity gradients, has led to the formation of a unique ecosystem.Aim. Environmental impact assessment of the Caspian region and the associated anthropogenetic load.Materials and methods. The anthropogenic processes affecting the environment of the Caspian Sea and the surrounding area were assessed using the DPSIR concept. This concept includes the components of driving forces, pressures, state, impacts, and response in order to inclusively determine the connections between human activities and the environment. This concept was used as by the European Environmental Agency as the basis for integrated environmental analysis.Results. The conducted study determined the scale and geography of greenhouse gas degassing, the volume of pollutant emissions into the atmosphere by components, the structure of greenhouse gas emissions, and the dynamics of emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrogen oxide generated from stationary sources in the Caspian region. Anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases that pollute the atmosphere and sea waters, generated from stationary sources, are formed as a result of the production activities of a number of industries: mining; electricity, gas, and steam generation; air conditioning; manufacturing; water supply; wastewater treatment; construction industry; agriculture and forestry; transport storage and communications; repair of vehicles and motorcycles; as well as other activities.Conclusion. The share of enterprises in the fuel and energy complex that emit greenhouse gases is about 60%. The structure of greenhouse gas emissions and the dynamics of CO2, CH4, and N2O emissions generated from stationary sources in the Caspian region are shown. The Caspian Sea is one of the most important endorheic basins in the world. Being surrounded by land on all sides, the Caspian Sea lacks flows that would maintain its self-purification. Pollutants that enter the Sea remain there due to the lack of mechanisms for their removal. Complete information about the level of pollutant inputs is crucial for selecting the most effective means of environmental compensation or pollution reduction. The largest polluting sectors are agriculture, industry, including oil and gas, and urbanization.