Publication Name

For purposes of this publication, the names Iran and Russia have been used to

refer to the Islamic Republic of Iran and Russian Federation, respectively.

The views expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not

necessarily reflect those of UNEP and Caspian Environment Programme. The

presentations and designations employed concerning the legal stats of any

country, territory, city or area within its authority, or delineation of its territories

and boundaries, do not reflect the opinion of UNEP/GRID-Arendal, UNEP and

Caspian Environment Programme.

Published by UNEP/GRID-Arendal

ISBN: 82-7701-039-7

Printed by Birkeland Trykkeri A/S in Birkeland, Norway on chlorine-

free, recycled paper with 100% plant based ink.

The

United Nations Environment Programme

, as the world’s lead-

ing intergovernmental environmental organization, is the authorita-

tive source of knowledge on the current state of, and trends shaping

the global environment. The mission of UNEP is to provide leader-

ship and encourage partnership in caring for the environment by

inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve

their quality of life without compromising that of future generations

UNEP/GRID-Arendal

is an official United Nations Environment Pro-

gramme (UNEP) centre located in Southern Norway. Established in

1989, UNEP/GRID-Arendal’s mission is to provide environmental

information, communications and capacity building services for in-

formation management and assessment. Together with partners in

different countries and regions, UNEP/GRID-Arendal’s core focus is

to facilitate the free access and exchange of information to support

decision making and secure a sustainable future

The

Caspian Environment Programme

(CEP) is a regional umbrella

programme developed for and by the five Caspian Littoral States: Az-

erbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia and Turkmenistan, aiming to halt

the deterioration of environmental conditions of the Caspian Sea

and to promote sustainable development in the area (http://www.

. The CEP is funded by the Caspian littoral

governments and the International community through the Global En-

vironmental Facility (GEF) (of which United Nations Development Pro-

gramme (UNDP), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

and the World Bank are the implementing agencies), the European

Union / Tacis and the growing participation of the private sector.