At the official invitation of the Economic Department of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in the Republic of Kazakhstan, Natavan Jafarova, Head of the Geospatial Analytics and Cartography Laboratory and PhD in Geography at the Institute of Geography of the Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan, participated as a speaker in international scientific seminars dedicated to the environmental challenges facing the Caspian Sea, the decline in its water level, and its future prospects.

The international scientific seminars were held on 19 October 2026 at Sh. Yessenov Caspian University of Technology and Engineering in Aktau and on 20 October 2026 at Atyrau University of Oil and Gas in Atyrau.

Natavan Jafarova’s presentation was entitled “Integrated Multi-Sensor Satellite Monitoring of Seasonal Oil Spill Dynamics and Environmental Risks in the Caspian Sea: The Case of the Oil Rocks Offshore Field.” The presentation outlined a methodology for monitoring the seasonal dynamics of oil-like surface slicks in the Oil Rocks offshore area using Sentinel-1, Sentinel-2, and Landsat-8 satellite data. It also addressed environmental risk assessment and the potential of multi-sensor satellite monitoring for the sustainable management of the Caspian Sea’s coastal and open marine environments.

Representatives of Kazakhstani universities, research institutes, and government agencies, as well as scientists and students, attended the seminars. Discussions focused on the declining water level of the Caspian Sea, the protection of marine ecosystems, the exchange of satellite monitoring data, and the expansion of scientific cooperation among researchers from the Caspian littoral countries.

As part of the visit, a meeting was also held with staff members of the Kazakhstan Research Institute of the Caspian Sea (KazNIIKM). The meeting addressed opportunities to advance research into the environmental state of the Caspian Sea and strengthen scientific cooperation in this field.