Environment and Security: Transforming risks into cooperation

Environment and Security

Hinterkaspien

threats be confined to the region or would they affect much larger areas? Or does the environment build bridges, does it connect? This set of relatively simple questions serves as the guiding principle for how the environment and security initiative works. Both Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan joined the ENVSEC club early on and asked for as- sistance in addressing common issues of environment and security, outlining possible solutions, and communicating the findings in a way that can be understood by a larger public both in and outside the region and its constituencies. This publication is the result of more than three years of intensive work done by Ka- zakhstan, Turkmenistan and international organisations: first diplomatic, then more hands-on environmental assessments in- cluding field work and consultations, writing texts and making maps and graphics. Con- sidering the perceived sensitivity of some of the topics the report was dealing with, further diplomatic efforts have deployed to ensure that countries agreed about the key outcomes of the document. After all, there is no more hinterland, in the traditional sense, east of the Caspian Sea.

The geographical focus of this report used to be a classical hinterland. For a long peri- od in history the area was even called Tran- scaspia, in other words the land behind the Caspian Sea. Also from the perspective of the now independent former Soviet Repub- lics Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan the strip of land bordering the Caspian Sea is a dis- tant province remote from the capitals. But things are changing. The geopolitical centre of gravity has shifted east and with the rapid development of China’s economy, another pole has emerged, rendering the terms ‘trans’, ‘hinter’ or ‘behind’ invalid for this region. And with the rapid develop- ments linked to oil and gas exploration in Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, the sleepy provinces along the coast are waking up. Aktau, for instance, has become a boom- town by international standards. Now this assessment puts the region centre stage, where it belongs. What are the impacts of these tremendous dynamics on the envi- ronment, and, going one step further, can en- vironmental issues, such as pollution on land and sea, desertification, species extinction be a threat to security? What are the poten- tial impacts of climate change? Would these