November 27, 2020
The Caspian Sea is continuing to shrink. Its surface level has dropped 150 centimeters (59 inches, almost five feet) since 1995, according to the Energy Ministry, largely due to the diversion of water by dams on rivers that feed the sea, actually a giant lake, plus evaporation and low rainfall. In some regions, the coastline has receded as much as 200 meters (650 feet).