Ebook: The Caspian Sea: A Quest for Environmental Security

This volume is based on the presentations and deliberations of an Advanced Research Workshop (ARW) "Caspian Sea: A Quest for Environmental Security" that was held on March 15-19, 1999, in Venice (Italy). The Workshop was sponsored by the NATO's Division for Scientific and Environmental Affairs, with additional support provided by the Trust for Mutual Understanding (USA). It was organized by Duke University's Center for International Development Research with the guidance of the International Committee of scientists from Russia, United States. Georgia and Italy and organizational assistance rendered by Venice International University. The Caspian Sea region is of profound importance from the perspective of global and regional environmental security. New geopolitical and economic circumstances have created a mixture of competition. reluctant collaboration, and legal, political, economic and ideological wrangling. There is an intense debate over how the Caspian and its resources should be divided among littoral states and how these resources are to be developed. While most littoral states and the international companies strive to develop the area's immense hydrocarbon potential, it is clear that the Caspian's unique and fragile ecosystem is at risk.

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The Caspian Sea region is profoundly important to global and regional environmental security. New geopolitical and economic conditions have created a mix of competition, reluctant collaboration, and legal, political, economic and ideological wrangling. There is intense debate on how the Caspian Sea and its resources should be divided between the littoral states and how the resources are to be developed. Development of the area's immense hydrocarbon potential poses a risk to the unique and fragile ecosystem. The issue is extremely complex, and vital economic, political and environmental interests are involved. The present book provides the most recent scientific assessments of the environmental threats in the region, articulates the standpoints of the various stakeholders from the littoral states, and presents the diverse approaches of interest groups from other nations currently involved in Caspian developments. Key to the work is the way it addresses the almost untouched questions of how to foster cooperation in resource sharing and environmental security issues and how to structure international cooperation to ensure its effectiveness.

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The Caspian Sea region is profoundly important to global and regional environmental security. New geopolitical and economic conditions have created a mix of competition, reluctant collaboration, and legal, political, economic and ideological wrangling. There is intense debate on how the Caspian Sea and its resources should be divided between the littoral states and how the resources are to be developed. Development of the area's immense hydrocarbon potential poses a risk to the unique and fragile ecosystem. The issue is extremely complex, and vital economic, political and environmental interests are involved. The present book provides the most recent scientific assessments of the environmental threats in the region, articulates the standpoints of the various stakeholders from the littoral states, and presents the diverse approaches of interest groups from other nations currently involved in Caspian developments. Key to the work is the way it addresses the almost untouched questions of how to foster cooperation in resource sharing and environmental security issues and how to structure international cooperation to ensure its effectiveness.
Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-xiv
Introduction....Pages 1-10
Front Matter....Pages 9-9
Environmental Change and Human Security in the Caspian Region: Threats, Vulnerability and Response Strategies....Pages 13-28
International Good Governance and Civilized Conduct among the Caspian States: Oil and Gas as Lever for Prosperity or Conflict....Pages 29-50
Regional Developmental Requirements and the Role of Caspian Development....Pages 51-64
Ecological Consequences of Oil and Gas Development....Pages 65-77
New Methods for Managing Caspian Sea Level Fluctuations....Pages 79-88
Front Matter....Pages 89-89
The Geopolitics of the Region....Pages 91-116
Security and the Environment in the Caspian Sea....Pages 117-123
Security Problems in the Caucasus....Pages 125-134
The International Politics of Energy in the Caspian Sea Basin: Russia, Turkey and the Pipeline Project....Pages 135-142
Front Matter....Pages 143-143
The Caspian and International Law: Like Oil and Water?....Pages 145-161
Basic Legal Issues of the Management of Natural Resources of the Caspian Sea....Pages 163-172
Caspian Legal Regime: Dynamics of Kazakhstan’s Position....Pages 173-187
The “Tug of War” in the Caspian: Legal Positions of the Coastal States....Pages 189-200
Front Matter....Pages 201-201
Environment and the Development of Civil Society in the Caspian Region: The Role of NGOs....Pages 203-218
How NGOs Abandoned Governance in the Caspian Region....Pages 219-233
The Political Role of Civil Society in Georgia....Pages 235-244
The State of Scientific Research on the Caspian Environment: Russian Data....Pages 245-255
Front Matter....Pages 257-257
Regional Cooperation: Lessons for the Caspian Sea....Pages 259-273
Technodiplomacy and Environmental Cooperation: Lessons for the Caspian....Pages 275-293
Front Matter....Pages 257-257
Applying Lessons from the Aral Sea Basin: The Role of Non-State Actors....Pages 295-311
National, Subnational and International Politics: Environmental Regime-Building in the Caspian Sea....Pages 313-326
Caspian Environment Programme: Prospects for Regime Formation and Effectiveness....Pages 327-343
Front Matter....Pages 345-345
Moving toward International Cooperation in the Caspian Region: Insights from the Workshop....Pages 347-353
Back Matter....Pages 355-364

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The Caspian Sea region is profoundly important to global and regional environmental security. New geopolitical and economic conditions have created a mix of competition, reluctant collaboration, and legal, political, economic and ideological wrangling. There is intense debate on how the Caspian Sea and its resources should be divided between the littoral states and how the resources are to be developed. Development of the area's immense hydrocarbon potential poses a risk to the unique and fragile ecosystem. The issue is extremely complex, and vital economic, political and environmental interests are involved. The present book provides the most recent scientific assessments of the environmental threats in the region, articulates the standpoints of the various stakeholders from the littoral states, and presents the diverse approaches of interest groups from other nations currently involved in Caspian developments. Key to the work is the way it addresses the almost untouched questions of how to foster cooperation in resource sharing and environmental security issues and how to structure international cooperation to ensure its effectiveness.
Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-xiv
Introduction....Pages 1-10
Front Matter....Pages 9-9
Environmental Change and Human Security in the Caspian Region: Threats, Vulnerability and Response Strategies....Pages 13-28
International Good Governance and Civilized Conduct among the Caspian States: Oil and Gas as Lever for Prosperity or Conflict....Pages 29-50
Regional Developmental Requirements and the Role of Caspian Development....Pages 51-64
Ecological Consequences of Oil and Gas Development....Pages 65-77
New Methods for Managing Caspian Sea Level Fluctuations....Pages 79-88
Front Matter....Pages 89-89
The Geopolitics of the Region....Pages 91-116
Security and the Environment in the Caspian Sea....Pages 117-123
Security Problems in the Caucasus....Pages 125-134
The International Politics of Energy in the Caspian Sea Basin: Russia, Turkey and the Pipeline Project....Pages 135-142
Front Matter....Pages 143-143
The Caspian and International Law: Like Oil and Water?....Pages 145-161
Basic Legal Issues of the Management of Natural Resources of the Caspian Sea....Pages 163-172
Caspian Legal Regime: Dynamics of Kazakhstan’s Position....Pages 173-187
The “Tug of War” in the Caspian: Legal Positions of the Coastal States....Pages 189-200
Front Matter....Pages 201-201
Environment and the Development of Civil Society in the Caspian Region: The Role of NGOs....Pages 203-218
How NGOs Abandoned Governance in the Caspian Region....Pages 219-233
The Political Role of Civil Society in Georgia....Pages 235-244
The State of Scientific Research on the Caspian Environment: Russian Data....Pages 245-255
Front Matter....Pages 257-257
Regional Cooperation: Lessons for the Caspian Sea....Pages 259-273
Technodiplomacy and Environmental Cooperation: Lessons for the Caspian....Pages 275-293
Front Matter....Pages 257-257
Applying Lessons from the Aral Sea Basin: The Role of Non-State Actors....Pages 295-311
National, Subnational and International Politics: Environmental Regime-Building in the Caspian Sea....Pages 313-326
Caspian Environment Programme: Prospects for Regime Formation and Effectiveness....Pages 327-343
Front Matter....Pages 345-345
Moving toward International Cooperation in the Caspian Region: Insights from the Workshop....Pages 347-353
Back Matter....Pages 355-364
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