Environment and Security: Transforming risks into cooperation

Eastern Caspian

Environment and Security

effects depending on which resources, solu- tions and technologies are prioritized.

The increased specialization of the region in the production of fossil fuels combined with the degradation of marine biological resources, freshwater and agricultural land are sources of concern. Rapid industrial development without due consideration for environmental security, especially in the shore and sea zones, can lead to environ- mental degradation and loss of livelihoods. The rapid negative changes associated with the latter could erode the region’s resilience and increase vulnerability to societal ten- sions. Population growth combined with unequal access to natural resources could further contribute to discriminating against and marginalizing specific social groups. Overuse of resources will have long-term consequences that will affect the region long after the oil and gas resources have been used up. The security anxiety that was fuelled by the Cold War (1945-1991) also had impor- tant environmental ramifications. By far the largest environmental impact of this period was caused by the construction and oper- ation of military-industrial complexes and arms testing sites. In the context of our report this is particularly apparent in Kaza- khstan, where the Soviet nuclear industry in the formerly “secret” town of Shevchenko (now Aktau) flourished until the 1990s cre- ating a large uranium-tailing dump and an onshore nuclear station. The vast Kazakh steppes favoured the creation of large- scale military testing ranges stretching for hundred of kilometres, now polluted with rocket fuel components and radioactivity, making it difficult or impossible to use ag- ricultural land. Finally the fluctuating sea level and, in a me- dium to long-term perspective, the issue of climate change represent a major challenge

States that are well endowed with oil and gas resources, such as Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, are confronted with the chal- lenges of managing them. These include, for example, the risk of over-emphasising the development of the energy extraction sector and the consequent weakening of the manufacturing and agricultural sector of an economy, with the development of high economic inefficiencies. Such a situation can increase socio-economic inequalities, and widen the gap between underprivileged communities and those that have benefited from the revenue generated by the energy sector. Rural-urban inequality is a typical in- stance of this trend. The quality and availability of freshwater in the arid eastern Caspian region is a key factor for rural development and public health. While urban centres located on the seacoast can afford expensive desaliniza- tion plants and/or the delivery of water via regional pipelines, access to reliable fresh- water sources for the hinterland remains dif- ficult and the vulnerability of these regions could increase with rising problems of envi- ronmental pollution and degradation. State institutions play a key role in coping with such challenges since their capacities for managing the wealth generated by the ex- traction of resources have had an impact on the country’s economic and political stability. In the eastern Caspian region the booming energy sector can lead to core changes in the socio-economic conditions of the whole area. This situation presents both opportu- nities and risks since rapid development of energy resources can imperil the region’s delicate environmental balance.