Environment and Security: Transforming risks into cooperation

Environment and Security

The Environment and Security Initiative (ENVSEC)

The Environment and Security Initiative (ENV­ SEC) was launched in May 2003 simulta- neously at the 5th Environment for Europe ministerial conference in Kyiv and the OSCE Forum in Prague, by three international or- ganisations with different while comple- mentary agendas and missions: the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). In 2007 the Initiative has been joined by the UN Economic Commis- sion for Europe (UNECE), the Regional En- vironmental Centre for Central and Eastern Europe (REC), and the Public Diplomacy Di- vision of the North-Atlantic Treaty Organisa- tion (NATO) as an associated partner. From the outset ENVSEC has seen its prima- ry goal as helping countries to identify, un- derstand and where possible mitigate risks to stability and security that may stem from environmental problems and challenges. has been able to draw on research and analysis produced within the framework of the CEP. Production of the ENVSEC East- ern Caspian report also included independ- ent assessment missions on the east coast of the Caspian Sea region in 2006. During these field assessments to the Turkmen and Kazakh provinces on the Caspian, local authorities, local experts and NGOs were consulted. The field missions were followed by national-level consultations in Ashgabat in September 2007. This event brought to- gether international and national experts on the issues raised by the report. At the same time, these consultations were instrumental in developing recommendations and pro- posals for follow-up actions.

Likewise it aims to promote more sustainable solutions to security challenges by address- ing their environmental aspects. The Initia- tive seeks to contribute to solving existing or emerging political disputes by improving dialogue and promoting cooperation on en- vironmental issues throughout the pan-Euro- pean region. Assessments in South-Eastern Europe and the Southern Caucasus have so far led to a broader, deeper and more con- crete understanding of how environmental and security concerns and policies intervene and affect each other. ENVSEC analyses and maps are known and used at schools and universities, in public debates as well as in governmental planning. Assessments are accompanied by projects on the ground ranging from awareness-raising and in- depth field investigations of specific issues to helping countries strengthen their institu- tions, improve policies and find solutions to concrete problems in the environment and security domain. Both CEP and ENVSEC look at environmen- tal issues, however the main strength of the ENVSEC initiative is to combine environ- mental analysis with a security perspective, trying to understand how these two dimen- sions are related. In a context where fossil fuels are of para- mount importance for the global economy, energy policy is a key area in which stakes for both the environment and security are very high. The issue of stable energy supply be- comes a matter of national security and the centre of geopolitical interests. The drive to- wards energy security and away from extreme energy dependence can have both positive and negative local and global environmental