COORDINATING COMMITTEE ON HYDROMETEOROLOGY
AND POLLUTION MONITORING OF THE CASPIAN SEA

RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE 11th SESSION

The 11th Session of Coordinating Committee on Hydrometeorology and Pollution Monitoring of the Caspian Sea (CASPCOM) was held in Astrakhan, Russian Federation, 15-16 October 2006.
Representatives of NHMSs from Azerbaijan Republic, Islamic Republic of Iran, Republic of Kazakhstan, and the Russian Federation as well as from World Meteorological Organization, Caspian Environment Programme and stakeholder organizations – hydrometeorology information users participated in the Session.

The main results of activities of Coordinating Committee on Hydrometeorology and Pollution Monitoring of the Caspian Sea in 2005-2006 are as follows:

• Information on the status of hydrometeorological network in the Caspian Sea presented in the form of interactive map at CASPCOM website;
• Implementing jointly with the Caspian Environment Programme 2 projects envisaged under the CEP 2nd Phase Plan, which are concerned with the use of information on hydrometeorological status and marine environmental pollution of the Caspian Sea for scheduling protection measures;
• Establishing and convening the meeting of Workgroup on hydrodynamic modeling of the Caspian Sea.

Following the amendments introduced into the Session Agenda, Items 1, 2, 3 and 5 of the Draft Agenda were discussed during the first day of the Session, Items 4, 6-9 – during the second day.

• CASPCOM activities and national activities towards solving high priority problems in hydrometeorology and pollution monitoring of the Caspian Sea (Items 2 and 3 of the Agenda)

Having assessed positively CASPCOM activities as well as national activities in solving high priority problems in hydrometeorology and pollution monitoring of the Caspian Sea in 2005-2006, the Session recommended as follows:

•  CASPAS Coordinator to prepare by the next CASPCOM Session project proposals on creating regional communication system and regional network of meteorological locators;

•  NHMSs to submit CASPAS Coordinator by 01 June 2007 information on the status and development plans for national communication systems and national networks of meteorological locators in the Caspian Sea region;

•  Establish CASPCOM editorial group incorporating one representative from each NHMS as well as CASPAS Coordinator and WMO representative. Assign editorial group to prepare by the 12th CASPCOM Session CASPCOM Proceedings including:

• NHMSs’ reports on national activities towards solving high-priority problems  in hydrometeorology and environmental monitoring of the Caspian Sea submitted to the 11th Session;
• NHMSs’ reports on national experience in developing hydrometeorological services based on the application of hydrodynamic models and information on hydrometeorological regime of the Caspian Sea submitted to NHMS Expert Meeting (Astrakhan, October 2006);
• WMO reports on international experience in developing hydrometeorological services based on application of hydrodynamic models and hydrometeorology information exchange submitted to NHMS Expert Meeting (Astrakhan, October 2006);

•  CASPCOM Chairman to apply to WMO with a request to include WMO representative into CASPCOM editorial group and provide support in publishing CASPCOM Proceedings.

• Status of the process of agreeing upon and preparation for signing the “Agreement on cooperation between the Caspian states in the field of the Caspian Sea hydrometeorology ” in the Caspian states (Item 5 of the Agenda)

2.1. The Session adopted Draft “Agreement on cooperation between the Caspian states in the field of the Caspian Sea hydrometeorology ” based on the version prepared by NHMS and MFA experts in January 2006 with regard to four amendments introduced into this version at the 11th CASPCOM Session (Annex 1);

2.2. In the interests of the soonest entering into force the Agreement in question the Session recommended NHMSs to initiate urgently the national reconciliation procedures preceding its signing.

• Issues of developing international cooperation in the field of hydrometeorology and environment pollution monitoring  in the Caspian Sea region (Item 4 of the Agenda)

The Session recommended:

3.1. CASPCOM/ NHMSs to proceed with implementation of CASPCOM Action Plan for 2004-2006 in the years 2007-2009. CASPAS Coordinator to introduce amendments to the Action Plan in accordance with recommendations of the 11th CASPCOM Session and submit the revised Plan to be approved at the 12th CASPCOM Session;

3.2. While revising the Plan to include into Item 2 actions aimed at preparation of documents containing the list of hydrometeorological information generated by NHMSs, information on the status of the Caspian Sea environment as well as the assessment of NHMSs’ need for this information;

3.3. NHMSs that failed to submit data for creation of interactive map of the Caspian Sea hydrometeorological network to forward this information to CASPAS Coordinator by 01 December 2006;

3.4. CASPCOM Chairman to apply by 01 December 2006 to the PCU CEP with a request to attract CASPCOM/NHMSs to studying mechanism of exchange with ecological information between the Caspian states and CASPCOM participation in discussing results of these studies.

•  On the Workgroup on hydrodynamic modeling and information exchange on the hydrometeorological regime of the Caspian Sea – outcomes of NHMSs and WMO Expert Meeting (Item 6 of the Agenda)

The CASPCOM Session:

4.1. Adopted Provisions for CASPCOM Workgroup on hydrodynamic modeling with consideration to amendments introduced by CASPCOM participants (Annex 2);

4.2. Assigned the Workgroup to prepare by 15 December 2006 a joint CASPCOM/ NHMS report on impact of the Caspian Sea level fluctuations on the maritime and coastal economy in the Caspian region to be presented at Madrid conference (March, 2007);

4.3. Assigned the Workgroup with participation of CASPAS Coordinator to develop in the course of the year the project “Caspian Sea Observation Data and Forecasting Systems” with its subsequent presentation to the participants of the 12th CASPCOM Session;

4.4. Assigned CASPAS Coordinator to revise with regard to the comments from the experts and the Session participants the mock-up of the print reference guide on hydrometeorological regime of the Caspian Sea as well as the mock-up of the General catalogue of the Caspian Sea level;

4.5. Assigned CASPAS Coordinator to prepare project proposals in order to secure financial support for the concluding stage of preparation and publishing the General catalogue of the Caspian Sea level;

• Confirmation of the 11th CASPCOM Session recommendations

The Session confirmed recommendations of the 11th CASPCOM Session.

• CASPCOM Chairman and Vice-Chairman election

The Session elected Sokhrab Shiraliev, the Head of Azhydromet, a CASPCOM Chairman and Tursunbek Kudekov, the Head of Kazhydromet, a CASPCOM Vice-Chairman.

• Defining date and place for holding the 12th CASPCOM Session

Following Azhydromet suggestion the Session agreed on holding the next 12th CASPCOM Session in October 2007 in Baku, Azerbaijan Republic.