Environment and Security: Transforming risks into cooperation

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Environment and Security

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Similarly in Turkmenistan oil production around the Cheleken peninsula, and oil and gas transportation by tankers and pipelines have affected biodiversity and the local ecosystem. The Cheleken peninsula is also home to specialized chemical enterprises. The concentration of oil and chemical in- dustries calls for particular attention to the environment and safety. In addition to pos- ing a risk of increased water and air pollu- tion these industrial activities may suffer ad- verse effects due to the rising sea level.

platforms producing 350 000 tonnes of oil a year. So far, six cases of oil fountain ignition accidents and numerous seepages of an oil and water mixture have been registered, especially during exploration in the 1970s and 1980s. Before the intense oil development around Cheleken now culminating in annual oil out- put of 2 million tonnes, salty hollows on- shore ( takyrs ) served as natural reservoirs. They could store and supply water for some 10 000 people, as well as farm animals (camels, goats and sheep) and migratory birds. When oil production started, many

In Cheleken, Turkmenistan, offshore oil pro- duction is concentrated on dozens of sea

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