Recommendations
of the 18-th Session of Coordinating Committee on Hydrometeorology
and Pollution Monitoring of the Caspian Sea

The 18th Session of Coordinating Committee on Hydrometeorology and Pollution Monitoring of the Caspian Sea (CASPCOM) was held in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, on 27-28 November 2013.

Representatives of national hydrometeorological organizations (NMHSs) and Ministries of Foreign Affairs from the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Russian Federation, Turkmenistan, the Interim Secretariat of the Framework Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea, and state authorities of Turkmenistan participated in the Session.

In accordance with the Recommendations of the 17th CASPCOM Session and upon agreement of Turkmenistan, on 1 April 2013 Head of Turkmenhydromet, Mr.Halliyev assumed office as CASPCOM Chairman, and Head of Kazhydromet, Mr. Mendigarin as Vice Chairman.

On August 21-22 and November 26, 2013 Ashgabat hosted Preliminary five-sided meetings to the 18th CASPCOM Session. The main item on the Agenda of those two meetings was the discussion of draft Agreement on Cooperation in the Field of Hydrometeorology of the Caspian Sea, hereinafter referred to as the Agreement.

The progress in agreeing upon the draft Agreement achieved during those meetings is the main output of the activities performed by the Coordinating Committee on Hydrometeorology and Pollution Monitoring of the Caspian Sea in 2012-2013. This progress was ensured by the efforts of the NMHSs on national harmonization of draft Agreement.

The other results of activities of the Coordinating Committee on Hydrometeorology and Pollution Monitoring of the Caspian Sea in 2012-2013 are as follows:

new version of the General Catalogue of the Caspian Sea level completed with the new data for 2009-2011 which abridged version is displayed at CASPCOM website, and full version has been submitted to CASPCOM members;
following CASPCOM Information Bulletins on the State of the Caspian Sea Level containing the assessment of its actual and expected seasonal changes, which arose great interest;
the 90%-ready Data Catalogue of the Caspian Sea Water Temperature which comprises the data series for at least 35 years, which makes it possible to use this Catalogue for the analysis of climate change of the Caspian Sea;
a test version of the Data Catalogue on Changes of Regional Atmospheric Circulation and its impact on the state of the Caspian Sea environment and ecosystem;
the updated sections of CASPCOM website, such as the “Guide to Hydrometeorology of the Caspian Sea”, the “Chronology of hydrometeorological research of the Caspian Sea”;
national achievements in the field of hydrometeorology and monitoring of the Caspian Sea which provide the basis for enhancing NMHSs’ cooperation and increasing its efficiency.

1. The status of the process of agreeing upon and preparation of the Agreement on Cooperation in the Field of Hydrometeorology of the Caspian Sea for signing

The draft Agreement was completely agreed upon by all the NMHSs – CASPCOM members during the 18th CASPCOM Session. All the national meteorological and hydrological agencies also agreed to hold an extraordinary anniversary CASPCOM Session in 2014 for signing of the Agreement.

The Session recommends to NMHSs:

to consider the process of draft Agreement agreeing upon by national hydrometeorological agencies as entirely completed and irreversible;
to take all possible efforts to complete the process of draft Agreement harmonization at the national level in shortest possible time;
to agree upon the issue of signing of the Agreement at the extraordinary CASPCOM Session within the framework of national harmonization procedure.

The Session recommends to CASPAS Coordinator:

to submit the completed draft Agreement adopted by the 18th CASPCOM Session to the NMHSs via diplomatic channels for its national agreeing upon;
to address the Government of Turkmenistan with a request to organize and hold the extraordinary CASPCOM Session for signing of the Agreement in Turkmenistan in 2014, date and venue being suggested by the Government of Turkmenistan;
if the answer is positive, to inform all the NMHSs via diplomatic channels about the date and venue of the following CASPCOM Session in Turkmenistan for signing of the Agreement;
if the answer is negative, to include the item on the Agreement signing into the draft Agenda of the following CASPCOM Session.

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 the following:

to submit to CASPAS Coordinator the Reports and presentations on the national activities addressing high priority problems in hydrometeorology and pollution monitoring of the Caspian Sea in 2012 - 2013 presented at the 18th CASPCOM Session;
to prepare and submit to CASPAS Coordinator the information on research organizations, scientists and specialists in the field of meteorology, hydrology and monitoring of the Caspian Sea so that this information could be used for the preparation of CASPCOM research papers;
to organize the presentation of CASPCOM information materials prepared with help of CASPAS Coordinator at oil-gas and transport Conferences, held within their states;
to distribute the press-release devoted to CASPCOM 20th anniversary in the national mass media.

The Session recommends to CASPCOM Chairman:

to organize the presentation of CASPCOM information materials at regional and thematic (CASPCOM-related topics) WMO Conferences;
to organize the publication of the Review devoted to CASPCOM 20th anniver-sary prepared by CASPAS Coordinator in geography-related research journals;
when developing the agenda for the next CASCOM session to envisage conduct of activities devoted to the 20th anniversary of CASPCOM.

The Session recommends to CASPAS Coordinator:

to complete the work on the Data Catalogue of the Caspian Sea Temperature jointly with the Working Group, to post the series of mean temperature values at CASPCOM website, and to submit the complete version of the Catalogue, including minimum and maximum values, to CASPCOM participants at the 19th CASPCOM Session;
to continue monthly data contribution to the Catalogue of the regional atmospheric circulation posted at CASPCOM website, and to complete it with the historic data with help of Roshydromet research institutions;
to develop and present at the 19th CASPCOM Session a layout of Data Catalogue on the River Runoff to the Caspian Sea;
jointly with the Working Group and using CASPCOM website to continue the activities aimed at promoting awareness-raising in the field of hydrometeorology of the Caspian Sea next year;
to prepare a press-release for the mass media and a review for geography-related research journals devoted to CASPCOM 20th anniversary.

3. CASPCOM co-operation with the Framework Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea (Tehran Convention)

The Memorandum of Understanding between CASPCOM and the Tehran Convention was signed at the 18th CASPCOM Session on November 28, 2013 by CASPCOM Chairman, Mr.B.Halliyev and UNEP Regional Coordinator Mr. M.Aliyev, representing the Interim Secretariat of the Tehran Convention.

Having considered the issue on expansion and strengthening of co-operation between CASPCOM and the Tehran Convention,

The Session recommends to CASPCOM Chairman:

to submit to the Interim Secretariat of the Tehran Convention the proposals to include the item on CASPCOM contribution to the Tehran Convention implementation on the Agenda of the following Meeting of Experts and to include CASPAS Coordinator into the Tehran Convention Working Group on monitoring and assessment as CASPCOM representative;

The Session recommends to NMHSs;

to prepare and submit to CASPAS Coordinator the information on the measured parameters of the Caspian Sea marine environment and the applied tools and techniques;

The Session recommends to CASPAS Coordinator:

to summarize the information on the measured parameters of the Caspian Sea marine environment and the applied tools and techniques submitted by the NMHSs in the Review and to submit this Review to the Interim Secretariat of the Tehran Convention and the NMHSs;
jointly with the Working Group to prepare a review of CASPCOM information resources and data exchange between the NMHSs, to forward this review to the Interim Secretariat of the Tehran Convention and the NMHSs.

4. Adoption of CASPCOM-18 Recommendations

The Session has adopted the recommendations.

5. Date and venue for the following CASPCOM Session

The Session recommends holding the following 19th CASPCOM Session in the autumn of 2014 in the Islamic Republic of Iran.