By Farid Zohrabov

Copyright trend

BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 3. At the initiative
of Leyla Aliyeva, Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation
and founder and head of the IDEA Public Union, an international
conference entitled “Caspian Sea Tipping Point: Transition from
COP29 and UNOC 2025 Outcomes to Action on COP30” was held at the
Baku Convention Center on October 2–3.

At the opening session, COP29 President and Representative of
the President of Azerbaijan on Climate Issues Mukhtar Babayev,
Deputy Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Rauf Hajiyev,
Great Whale Conservancy Co-Founder and Executive Director Michael
Fishbach, Director of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Center under
Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Agriculture Jeyhun Aliyev, Baku
International Sea Trade Port Chief Operating Officer Eugene Seah,
and GRID-Geneva Director at UNEP Pascal Peduzzi (who joined online)
discussed the challenges facing the Caspian Sea, the world’s
largest inland water body. They highlighted issues such as sea
level decline, bio-resource depletion, coastal ecosystem
degradation, and pollution, noting that these problems cannot be
addressed by individual states alone and require international
cooperation and shared strategies. They also emphasized that the
key outcomes of Azerbaijan’s COP29 Presidency should be translated
into concrete actions for effective climate change mitigation.

The event continued with discussions involving representatives
from the COP29 Presidency, the United Nations Environment Programme
(UNEP), UN-Habitat, and specialized scientific and research
institutions from various countries. Topics included regional
collaboration for Caspian Sea protection, water resources
management, and strengthening international coordination.
Participants underscored the significance of international
scientific cooperation to address pressing environmental
challenges.

Co-organized by IDEA and the Caspisnet Scientific Network, the
conference brought together scientists and experts from over 10
countries specializing in marine ecology, sustainable aquaculture,
hydrology, geographic information systems, and related fields. The
discussions focused on Caspian Sea level changes, marine
biodiversity, maintaining ecological balance, and exploring joint

The event will also include a tour of Absheron National Park,
allowing participants to experience firsthand the rich biodiversity
of the Caspian Sea.