BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 7. The Caspian Sea is a strategic space for sustainable development, supporting energy, ports, transport corridors, trade, and connectivity, UN Resident Coordinator in Turkmenistan Xiaojun Grace Wang said.
According to the press service of the UN Resident Coordinator in Turkmenistan, Xiaojun Grace Wang made the statement at the opening of the international training course “The Caspian Sea: Sustainable Development and Management” in Ashgabat.
“The Caspian Sea is a strategic space for sustainable development,” Wang said.
She noted that the sea is increasingly affected by climate change, pollution and changing water levels, making it necessary to balance economic development with environmental sustainability.
According to Wang, governments need reliable data on water levels, biodiversity, pollution and climate risks to make better policy and investment decisions, while international law provides a predictable framework for cooperation among the five Caspian states.
She also said the UN is supporting regional initiatives linking environmental protection with economic development, including the GEF-backed Blueing the Caspian Sea initiative and ESCAP's work on sustainable transport, connectivity and regional economic cooperation.
Notably, the Caspian's economic role has gained increasing attention as changing water levels affect ports, shipping routes and coastal infrastructure across the region. For Turkmenistan, whose Turkmenbashi International Seaport serves as a key gateway for Trans-Caspian cargo flows, maintaining efficient maritime connectivity has become increasingly important for trade and logistics.
The sea is also central to offshore energy production, fisheries, and regional transport projects linking Central Asia with Azerbaijan and onward to Europe, making its long-term management an increasingly important issue for both economic planning and regional cooperation.
