The Caspian Sea is bounded by Iran on the South, Russia on the North, Azerbaijan on the West, and Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan on the East. Growing up on the shores of the Caspian Sea, Iranian photographer Khashayar Javanmardi witnessed the once-abundant lake fall victim to unregulated exploitation, pollution, overfishing, and climate change, creating a toxic cocktail that impoverishes those who depend on its diminishing returns. Every year, approximately 122,000 tons of pollutants from the Caspian coastal states, including oil pollution, domestic and industrial sewage, pollute the marine environment, endangering other species.
