Baku, April 14 : The World Bank has approved a five-year project worth $8.24 million to strengthen pollution monitoring and biodiversity protection in the Caspian Sea, Report news agency said.

The initiative, titled "Blueing the Caspian Sea: Building Capacities for Pollution Management and Biodiversity Conservation," is expected to benefit Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. The project will receive $11.74 million in grant financing from the Global Environment Facility, Xinhua news agency reported.

The implementation will be coordinated by the United Nations Environment Programme, while the United Nations Office for Project Services will receive a 183,489 dollar grant to develop environmental and social framework tools and strengthen cross-country cooperation.

World Bank funding will support two components: pollution monitoring management worth $3.15 million, aimed at developing systemic approaches and comparable water quality assessments, and biodiversity planning management worth $4.25 million to improve protected area management and track population status.

The project seeks to enhance pollution control systems and increase the effectiveness of marine protected areas across the Caspian Sea, which hosts around 400 endemic species. The bank warned that the sea's level has decreased significantly in recent decades and could drop by 8 to 30 meters by 2100 due to climate change and economic use of water resources.

In Azerbaijan, the initiative will assist the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources in developing a marine pollution monitoring scheme, including policy tools, a national seminar and staff training. The project will also support biodiversity measures focused on Caspian seals and sturgeon, alongside plans to expand marine protected areas within Absheron National Park.

/IANS