Recommendations
of the 19^th Session of Coordinating Committee on Hydrometeorology
and Pollution Monitoring of the Caspian Sea

The 19^th Session of Coordinating Committee on Hydrometeorology and Pollution Monitoring of the Caspian Sea (CASPCOM) was held on 25-26 November 2014 in the Islamic Republic of Iran, Tehran.

The Session was attended by the representatives of national meteorological and hydrological services (NMHSs) from the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Russian Federation, and Turkmenistan, the World Meteorological Organization, governmental authorities and research organizations of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The 19^th Session was significant due to the fact that a few weeks ago, the Agreement on Cooperation in the Field of Hydrometeorology of the Caspian Sea had been signed in Astrakhan within the framework of the 4th Summit of Leaders of the Caspian Littoral States. This became possible due to the active efforts of all the NMHSs and decisive actions taken by the Turkmen party aimed at the preparations of the draft Agreement for signing.

Alongside with this, the main results of the activities of the Coordinating Committee on Hydrometeorology and Pollution Monitoring of the Caspian Sea in 2013-2014 were found to be as follows:

the Catalogue of the Caspian Sea Water Temperature, covering the period starting from 1961. The abridged version of the Catalogue is displayed on CASPCOM website, and the complete version was submitted to CASPCOM members at the 19^th CASPCOM Session;
CASPCOM bulletins on the state of the Caspian Sea level containing the assessment of actual and expected seasonal changes of the sea level, which aroused profound interest;
the regularly updated Data Catalogue on the Changes of the Regional Atmospheric Circulation, which makes it possible to assess its impact on the state of the marine environment and ecosystem of the Caspian Sea;
Information materials on CASPCOM activities, presented at the regional and thematic (in compliance with CASPCOM activities) international conferences;
national achievements in the field of hydrometeorology and monitoring of the Caspian Sea which provide the basis for enhancing NHMSs’ cooperation and increasing its efficiency.

1. On implementation of the Agreement on Cooperation in the Field of Hydrometeorology of the Caspian Sea and the elaboration of the Intergovernmental Integrated Programme on Hydrometeorology of the Caspian Sea

The participants of the 19^th Session discussed priority measures aimed at the implementation of the Agreement on Cooperation in the Field of Hydrometeorology of the Caspian States and the elaboration of the Intergovernmental Integrated Programme on Hydrometeorology of the Caspian Sea.

CASPCOM members agreed that the Coordinating Committee on Hydrometeorology of the Caspian Sea to be established in accordance with Article 4 of the Agreement on Cooperation in the Field of Hydrometeorology of the Caspian Sea as soon as the Agreement comes into effect is the successor of the existing Coordinating Committee on Hydrometeorology and Pollution Monitoring of the Caspian Sea and retains its abbreviation and emblem.

The Session recommends as follows:

all the NMHSs are to submit to CASPAS Coordinator the information on the nominees to be included in the Working Group on the elaboration of draft CASPCOM Regulations (one representative from each country) before the end of 2014;
the established Working Group is to elaborate draft CASPCOM Regulations, and CASPAS Coordinator is to forward the Regulations to NMHSs for agreeing upon before September 2015;
all the NMHSs are to submit to CASPAS Coordinator the information on the nominees to be included in the Working Group on elaboration of the draft Intergovernmental Integrated Programme on Hydrometeorology of the Caspian Sea (not more than five participants, one of which is to be appointed Responsible Officer) before the end of 2014.
Before August 2015, the established Working Group is to:
prepare the proposals on CASPCOM Mission and Strategy in view of the Agreement on Cooperation in the Field of Hydrometeorology of the Caspian States;
assess NMHSs’ status and potential on main areas of CASPCOM activities, defined in the the Agreement on Cooperation in the Field of Hydrometeorology of the Caspian States;
determine the demands of every NMHS for hydrometeorological information from other NMHSs and for the information resources created through the joint efforts of all the NMHSs.
CASPAS Coordinator is to systematize and summarize the information materials submitted by the Working Group and to submit them to the NMHSs for approval before September 2015.
to approve the initiative of the Islamic Republic of Iran Meteorological Organization on creating CASPCOM website copy in Farsi; the NMHSs of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan are to create CASPCOM website copies in the Azerbaijani, the Kazakh and the Turkmen languages respectively; Roshydromet, supporting CASPCOM website in CASPCOM working languages (Russian and English), is to provide assistance to the other NMHSs in this respect.

2. CASPCOM activities and national activities addressing high priority problems in hydrometeorology and pollution monitoring of the Caspian Sea

Having appreciated CASPCOM activities, as well as the national activities addressing high priority problems in hydrometeorology and pollution monitoring of the Caspian Sea in 2012 -2013,

the Session recommends to the NMHSs:

to submit to CASPAS Coordinator the data on the Caspian Sea level and water temperature for the period 2012- 2014 to complete the General Data Catalogue of the Caspian Sea level and the Catalogue of Caspian Sea Water Temperature in the format required for the catalogues;
to submit to CASPAS Coordinator the data on the surface water runoff to the Caspian Sea to compile the relevant data catalogue in accordance with the layout submitted by CASPAS Coordinator.

The Session recommends to CASPAS Coordinator:

to complete updating of the Catalogue of Regional Atmospheric Circulation displayed at CASPCOM website with new data, and to supplement it with historic data with the assistance of Roshydromet research institutions;
to present the updated General Catalogue of the Caspian Sea Level and the Catalogue of Caspian Sea Water Temperature at the following CASPCOM Session;
to prepare a sample Data Catalogue on the Surface Water Runoff to the Caspian Sea on the basis of the data submitted by the NMHSs and to present it at the following CASPCOM Session;
to prepare and display at CASPCOM website the announcement of the Contest for young scientists and specialists for the development of CASPCOM website module, designed for presenting of operational information (spatial fields and temporal series) on the state of the Caspian Sea;
to prepare and present at the following CASPCOM Session the proposals on the integration of CASPCOM information resources and information products to the international systems of meteorological, hydrological and climatic information;
jointly with the Working Group and using CASPCOM website, to continue the activi-ties aimed at raising awareness in the field of hydrometeorology of the Caspian Sea in the following year.

3. CASPCOM cooperation with international and economic organizations

The Session participants have listened to WMO report, which gave positive assessment to CASPCOM activities, and pointed to extending prospects of cooperation between the WMO and CASPCOM as soon as the Agreement on Cooperation in the Field of Hydrometeorology of the Caspian States comes into effect.

The participants of the Session have also listened to the communication by Mr. A.Postnov (Roshydromet) on the status and near-term prospects of co-operation between CASPCOM and the Tehran Convention on the basis of the signed Memorandum of Understanding, and to the communication by CASPAS Coordinator on cooperation between CASPCOM and economic organizations.

The Session recommends to CASPAS Coordinator:

to prepare and submit to the Secretariat of the Tehran Convention the list of CASPCOM information products, which can be used for periodic assessment of the status of the marine environment, and the information on the techniques used by NMHSs to assess the transboundary transfer of pollutants and predict the spread of emergency oil spills.

The Session recommends to CASPCOM Chairman:

with the assistance of CASPAS Coordinator and CASPCOM Working Group, to organize and hold the international research conference on the issues of hydrometeorological support of the marine economy of the Caspian Sea at the same time with the 20^th CASPCOM Session.

4. Adoption of the Reccomendations of the 19^th CASPCOM Session

The Session has adopted the Recommendations.

5. Election of CASPCOM Chairman and Vice Chairman

As the mandates of Head of Turkmenhydromet as CASPCOM Chairman and Head of Kazhydromet as Vice Chairman expire, the Session resolved that Head of Kazhydromet will assume the responsibilities of Chairman and Head of Azhydromet will assume the responsibilities of Vice Chairman.
The Session decided that after the expiration of the 2-year term of office of these officials, Chairman and Vice Chairman will be appointed according to the alphabetical order of the names of member states, starting with letter “A”, i.e. the responsibilities of CASPCOM Chairman will be delegated to Head of Azhydromet, and the responsibilities of CASPCOM Vice Chairman – to President of IRIMO.

6. Determination of the date and venue of the following CASPCOM

The Session recommended holding the following 20^th CASPCOM Session in the Russian Federation in the autumn of 2015.