TEHRAN - The Caspian Sea’s ever-decreasing water level has put it at risk of an environmental disaster, Iran’s ambassador to Azerbaijan has warned.

The littoral states should figure out a solution before it is too late, Abbas Mousavi said in an online post on X on Saturday on the occasion of the International Day of the Caspian Sea.

August 12 is the day of the Caspian Sea, which unfortunately faces the serious risk of water loss and an environmental catastrophe in the future, the Iranian ambassador said, Press TV reported.

The International Day of the Caspian Sea is an important reminder of the environmental and social problems of the region as well as the need for cooperation among the relevant countries.

On this day, the Framework Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea (the Tehran Convention), which was developed with the assistance of the UN Environment Program, entered into force and was signed by representatives of the five Caspian littoral countries, namely Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkmenistan.

Also on Saturday, the Iranian Space Agency (ISA) confirmed a significant decline in the water level of the Caspian Sea over the past years.

ISA studies based on satellite images over a period of about 10 years demonstrate that during the period, not least the past 24 months, the northern part of the Caspian Sea has seen an advancement of the coastline due to diminishing water levels.

According to the agency, the southern part of the Caspian Sea, bordering the Iranian territories, remains little changed probably due to the slope or depth of the sea in the section.