The International Conference “Understanding the Problems of Inland Waters: Case Study for the Caspian Basin” was held in Baku, Azerbaijan, on 12-14 May. The conference was organized by the Institute of Geography named after Academician G. Aliyev of the National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan jointly with the International Scientific and Oceanographic Technology Network of Islamic Countries, with the support of Germany, Switzerland, the USA, France, Russia and Iran, as well as international projects, including the EUWI + project.
The main purpose of the conference was to increase the exchange of the international scientific cooperation on Caspian Sea, Aral Sea and Urmia and Van lakes.
The speakers presented and discussed a wide range of issues on the protection and evolution of the state of the ecosystems of the Caspian Sea, in particular:
- The impact of climate change on: sea level, bio-resources, bio-diversity, marine invasive species, ecology and food web: past, present and future.
- Climate and hydro-meteorological features of the basin.
- International cooperation, socio-economical development, Industry and energy-food, water-ecosystem nexus and the state of fishes and fisherie in the Caspian region.
- Physical and chemical characteristics of the Caspian Sea.
- Geology, geomorphology and paleogeography.
- Marine geophysics, seismology, seismic hazard assessment
- The application of remote sensing and GIS on investigation of modern climatic trends
- Archeology and paleoarcheology of the Caspian region
- Sustainable development, disaster and risks of the Caspian Sea Region.
- Changing ecosystem health of Caspian Sea under multiple stressors
Mr. Rafig Verdiyev, Water Management and Coordination Expert and Representative of the EUWI+ project in Azerbaijan, made a presentation on Hydrological Classification System According to EU WFD.