Recommendations
of the 16-th Session of Coordinating Committee on Hydrometeorology
and Pollution Monitoring of the Caspian Sea

The 16-th Session of Coordinating Committee on Hydrometeorology and Pollution Monitoring of the Caspian Sea (CASPCOM) was held in Baku, the Azerbaijan Republic, on 23-24 November 2011.
Representatives of national hydrometeorological organizations (NHMSs) from the Azerbaijan Republic, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Russian Federation, the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) acting as Interim Secretariat of the Frame-work Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea, governmental structures, research institutions and higher educational establishments of the Azerbaijan Republic participated in the Session. The participants expressed their regret that the Iranian and the Turkmen delegations were not able to attend the session.
The Session has agreed that the main results of activities of the Coordinating Commit-tee on Hydrometeorology and Pollution Monitoring of the Caspian Sea in 2010-2011 are as follows:

General Catalogue of the Caspian Sea level including monthly database and its description throughout the whole observation period for the entire coastline (with the exception of the Iranian coast) has been prepared through joint efforts of the NMHSs and submitted to the Session participants as electronic copies (on CDs);
proceedings of the international scientific conference "Climate and water balance changes in the Caspian region" , held in Astrakhan last year, have been edited and published (only as electronic copies available on CDs);
hydrometeorological atlas of the Caspian Sea earlier posted on CASPCOM website and covering main meteorological and hydrological parameters of the Caspian Sea has been complimented with new maps;
information bulletins on the Caspian Sea level have been prepared by CASPCOM Working Group to address the rapid decrease of the sea level in 2010-2011 along the entire sea coastline as a result of low water influx from the Volga River;
the report "Assessment of CASPCOM potential contribution to the process of the Tehran Convention implementation" has been prepared by Roshydromet in accordance with the recommendations of the 15th CASPCOM Session, approved by other NMHSs and forwarded to CASPECO and the Interim Secretariat of the Tehran Convention;
national achievements in the field of hydrometeorology and monitoring of the Caspian Sea which provide the basis for enhancing NHMSs’ cooperation and increas-ing its efficiency.

1. CASPCOM activities and national activities addressing high priority problems in hydrometeorology and pollution monitoring of the Caspian Sea (Agenda Items ## 2, 3)

Having appreciated CASPCOM activities, as well as the national activities addressing high priority problems in hydrometeorology and pollution monitoring of the Caspian Sea in 2010 -2011, the Session recommends the following:

1.1 To post the reports presented at the Session and NMHSs' presentations on the national activities addressing high priority problems in hydrometeorology and pollution monitoring of the Caspian Sea on the CASPCOM website.
1.2 To complete the “Guide on Hydrometeorology of the Caspian Sea” posted at CASPCOM website with links to new national and international information resources on the situation in the Caspian Sea, including the links to information resources cover-ing the pollution of the Caspian Sea environment.
1.3 Roshydromet, acting as North Eurasian Climate Centre (NEACC), to examine a possibility to assign a special section devoted to the Caspian region in its information resources and products.

2. Status of 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 (Agenda Item # 4).

The participants of the meeting, having considered the process of coordination and preparation for signing the “Agreement on cooperation between the Caspian states in the field of the Caspian Sea hydrometeorology” by the Caspian states, have recom-mended CASPCOM Chairperson and CASPAS Coordinator to continue their efforts aimed at involving NMHS of Turkmenistan in the process of the draft Agreement coordination and signing.

3. On the activities of CASPCOM working bodies (Agenda Item # 5).

Having approved the activities of CASPCOM working bodies, the Session recommends the following:

3.1 NMHSs and CASPAS Coordinator to compliment the General Catalogue of the Caspian Sea level with updated monthly data every 3 years, and IRIMO and CASPAS Coordinator to compliment the Catalogue with monthly data for the Iranian coast;

NMHSs and CASPAS Coordinator to start the preparation of the data catalogue on the Caspian Sea water temperature in accordance with the plan presented in Annex 1;

3.3 CASPAS Coordinator and CASPCOM Working Group to continue preparation and displaying on CASPCOM website twice a year (after seasonal minimum and maximum) of "Bulletins on the Caspian Sea level", containing the actual and expected changes of the sea level, with due account of the annually forecasted level produced by Hydrometeorological Centre of Russia.

3.4 CASPAS Coordinator is to:

3.5 CASPAS Coordinator is to elaborate and submit to the NMHSs the draft form of application to oil and gas producing companies operating in the Caspian Sea for grants for:

- students to get a degree in hydrometeorology in higher educational establishments of other Caspian states;

- young scientists to carry out research in the field of the Caspian Sea hydrometeorol-ogy;

- young specialists to take training courses in the NMHSs of other Caspian states;

3.6 CASPAS Coordinator is to analyse and report to the next CASPCON session the opportunities for joint activities of the NMHSs in the field of providing hydrometeorological services for marine economy branches.

4. International cooperation in the field of hydrometeorology and environmental monitoring in the Caspian Sea region (Agenda Item # 6)

Having reviewed the current international cooperation in the Caspian Region, the Ses-sion recommends as follows:

4.1 In the course of the meeting on the Caspian Sea monitoring programme, organized by the Interim Secretariat of the Tehran Convention on 25 November 2011 in Ashgabat, NMHS representatives and CASPAS Coordinator, taking part in the meeting, are to:

underline the importance of hydrometeorological information (especially information on natural hazards and changes of climate and water balance) for the protection of the marine environment of the Caspian Sea;
point to the actual contribution and great potential of the NMHSs in the development of the Caspian Sea environment monitoring at the national level, including the use of hydrometeorological infrastructure (observation networks and information systems) for its organization and the use of hydrometeorological information for the interpretation of the environment monitoring data.
draw attention to CASPCOM exclusive mandate on providing hydrometeorological services for the system of the Caspian Sea environment monitoring at the regional level, especially on providing summarized and agreed information on the Caspian Sea climate change to perform regular assessment of the marine environment condition;
determine the procedure for signing of the Memorandum on mutual understanding between CASPCOM and the Tehran Convention.

4.2 CASPCOM Chairperson is to inform NMHSs of the organization and holding of the 2nd meeting to prepare the application for the EU contest, which is aimed at the devel-opment of operational oceanography in the Caspian Sea; NMHSs are to delegate their representatives to participate in this meeting.

5. Adoption of CASPCOM-16 Recommendations (Agenda Item # 7)

Session has approved these recommendations and further recommends:

5.1 NMHS of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Russia to take measures for implementation of the recommendations.

5.2 CASPCOM Chairperson to forward to IRIMO and Turkmenhydromet the recom-mendations with a request to join their implementation.

6. Date and venue for the following CASPCOM Session (Agenda Item # 8)

The Session recommends CASPCOM Chairperson to address:

а) Kazhydromet with a request to hold the 17th CASPCOM Session in autumn of 2012 in Kazakhstan;

б) Turkmenhydromet with a request to hold the 18th CASPCOM Session in autumn of 2013 in Turkmenistan.