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Eastern Caspian
Environment and Security
effects depending on which resources, solu-
tions and technologies are prioritized.
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.
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