Japan pledges $3 mil. to help Kazakhstan address Caspian Sea water decline

TOKYO - Japan has partnered with the U.N. Development Program to support Kazakhstan's efforts to address the decline in the Caspian Sea's water level driven by climate change, pledging a 465 million yen ($3 million) grant toward its sustainable use.

Under the initiative for the world's largest inland water body, Japan hopes to promote cooperation among littoral states on water resource management and enhance monitoring systems, the Foreign Ministry said. The decline in the Caspian Sea's water level could have an immense impact on logistics and regional ecosystems.