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. 

In a new book, titled Caspian: A Southern Reflection, which was edited and published by Loose Joints, Javanmardi’s images of the Iranian shores of the Caspian visualize the environmental crisis, portraying the lives of local inhabitants whose existence becomes smaller and poorer as the sea deteriorates. As he travels along the Caspian Sea, Javanmardi’s images tell the story of his connection with the environment, as well as the efforts of nature to survive under immense pressure. In this respect, Caspian appeals to the urgent need for effectively tackling climate change through the incorporation of the political, systemic, and structural into the experience, agency, and activism of everyday lived experience.  

Editor’s Note: Caspian: A Southern Reflection by Khashayar Javanmardi is published by Loose Joints and is available to buy here.