Vital Caspian Graphics - Challenges Beyond Caviar

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 (http://www.unep.org/). 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 (www.grida.no). 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. caspianenvironment.org). 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.

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 Copyright©2006 UNEP/GRID-Arendal All rights reserved. ISBN: 82-7701-039-7 Printed by Birkeland Trykkeri A/S in Birkeland, Norway on chlorine- free, recycled paper with 100% plant based ink.