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Environment and Security
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man pressures and environmental change
on economic sectors and livelihoods that
depend on the ecosystem. There are how-
ever several sides to the picture.
One clearly identified trend relates to the in-
creasing differences between urban centres
on the coast and areas in the rural hinter-
land. Urban centres, especially the Kazakh
provincial capitals Atyrau and Aktau, have
become strategic nodes for services to the
energy sector (financial services, transpor-
tation, housing, etc.), attracting population
from rural areas, other parts of the country
and other states. The energy sector needs
a qualified workforce, often drawn from
abroad by the high wages paid in the region.
The presence of large numbers of foreign
workers may cause social tension
36
.
More than half the region’s population is
currently living in urban centres on the coast
near the oilfields and other mineral depos-
its. This concentration of population also
increases demand for resources such as
energy, water and food.
Massive investment in urban centres and
infrastructure is widening the gap between
rural and urban areas. Despite the fact that
rural communities may also benefit from an
range of social investments financed by the
energy companies – such as the construc-
tion of schools and gas mains, road repairs,
etc. – many rural communities remain mar-
ginalized and impoverished.
At the same time the rapid development of
urban centres often lacks consistent plan-
ning, leading to major differences within the
centres themselves between areas served
by recent municipal infrastructure, and
those that lack such services or depend on
decaying infrastructure.