The Caspian harms the alternative The annual drop in the level of the Caspian Sea worries more and more governments, environmentalists and other experts in the countries of the region. This issue is receiving attention at the highest political levels due to the economic risks associated with sea level rise. Recently, this problem also came up at the summit held in Turkmenistan with the participation of the heads of state of the coastal countries, where it was decided to establish an intergovernmental working group to analyze the reasons for the lowering of the Caspian Sea level and to find ways to stop this process. Meanwhile, the shallowing continues, and experts from the coastal countries occasionally express their opinion on the consequences and potential risks of this process. Chief researcher at the Institute of Water Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Russian Academy of Sciences), hydrologist Mikhail Bulgov warns that a drop in the level of the Caspian Sea and the connection of the islands to the mainland may increase the risk of the spread of infectious diseases among Caspian seals. "There is a problem with the seal. She lives in the islands and breeds on the ice. And if the island is connected to land, wild animals can enter there and carry contagious diseases. Epizootics can occur in seals," Bulgov explained in an interview with 360.ru. Continue reading here.