ASTANA, Kazakhstan, August 13. In line with the President of Kazakhstan’s directive to conduct a comprehensive study of the Caspian Sea, 305 million tenge (approximately $549,000) has been allocated from the Government's reserve fund to the Kazakhstan Research Institute of the Caspian Sea, Trend reports via the Government of Kazakhstan.
The institute was established to study the environmental problems of the Caspian Sea. Specifically, its activities include assessing fish stock levels, developing methods and technologies for their conservation, studying ichthyofauna (fish populations), identifying the causes of mass seal deaths, and working to preserve their population.
In addition, the institute specializes in studying the sea’s hydrological processes and monitoring its water levels, analyzing climate changes and their impact on the ecosystem, collecting and analyzing data on water quality, biodiversity, and other parameters of the Kazakh sector of the Caspian Sea and its coastline.
“The funds allocated from the Government's reserve will be directed toward the further development of the institute and will enable timely and effective research activities in the fields of hydrobiology and hydrochemistry, hydrometeorology, satellite monitoring, and in addressing other tasks assigned to the institute,” the statement reads.
The Caspian Sea represents a unique ecosystem and a vital source of aquatic biological resources. It also plays a key role in the sustainable development of Kazakhstan’s western regions and the country as a whole. Kazakhstan’s Caspian Sea coastline stretches 2,320 km - the longest among all the Caspian littoral states.