THE SOUTH CAUCASUS: A REGIONAL OVERVIEW AND CONFLICT ASSESSMENT
REGIONAL OVERVIEW

Environmental Issues

The economic collapse in the South Caucasus has also contributed greatly to environmental problems, which were already significant in Soviet times. In fact, the first public demonstration in Armenia and Georgia in 1987 were related to environmental issues. The main problems are pollution, deforestation, the Caspian sea, and the Medzamor Nuclear Plant in Armenia.

Pollution

The main waterways in the region, the Kür/Mtkvari and Araxes rivers that flow into the Caspian from Turkey, Armenia, Iran and Georgia gather significant amounts of industrial waste from these countries. Moreover, the Apsheron peninsula on which Baku is located is one of the environmentally most destroyed areas in the world. Damage from Industries, a century and a half of oil production, energy and transport in the peninsula have made it a wasteland. The pollution of air, water, and soil in Baku, Sumgait and surrounding settlements are particular problems. Sumgait was developed during the 1960s as a center for Chemical and Machinery Industry. The concentration of so many factories and plants in one city has led to a dramatic deterioration of soil and water, as well as to air pollution in the Apsheron peninsula. Industrial waste has also damaged the Caspian Sea, where most of it was disposed. The situation somewhat improved in 1990s, but not because of improvements in standards, but rather due to the majority of plants ceasing work due to the collapse of the Soviet economy. In areas of Baku, air pollution from transport and soil pollution from over hundred years of oil production are major areas of concern. Air pollution in Tbilisi is also a problem.

The Caspian Sea

The water level of the Caspian sea has been rising since the 1980s and has already left hundreds of agricultural lands in the south of Azerbaijan under water. Over fishing and poaching of sturgeon by a powerful and armed caviar mafia, and the over-sale of black caviar, have also created such a problem that in 2001 the UN imposed restrictions on the five Caspian littoral states on the sale of caviar. Exploration and production of oil and gas have also led to massive ecological problems in the sea. In 1999-2000, Azerbaijani environmentalists reported the death of hundreds of sea lions in the Caspian.

Deforestation

The war in Mountainous Karabakh and the subsequent economic embargo by Turkey and Azerbaijan has severely hit Armenia’s energy sector. Because of this, people heavily relied on local forests to provide heat and energy for their homes, especially in 1992-1993. This led to a severe deforestation in the country. Currently, the energy crisis has largely been solved, however it is estimated that 4% of the country’s budget will be required to stop any further degradation of natural resources. Deforestation has also been a major problem in Azerbaijan in the past decade, as many people in the regions lost their gas and electricity supplies, and therefore relied on wood as a source of heat and energy in the winter. The newly created Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources in 2002 drafted a plan of action for the creation of national parks and preservation of forests in Azerbaijan.

Medzamor

Another problem is the Medzamor nuclear power station in Armenia and the potential ecological threat it poses should an earthquake take place. The activity of the plant outside Yerevan has caused much disagreement between the Armenian government and the EU. The latter claims that the plant causes risks for the environment and people, because Armenia is located in a high-risk earthquake zone. The severe earthquake of 1988 already slightly damaged the station, which forced the Armenian government to close it down until 1994. Currently, the station provides up to 50% of Armenia’s energy and therefore, the government refuses to close it down before 2008. The EU has earmarked $100 million for a program aimed at closing down Medzamor. Much of these funds will be spent on constructing hydroelectric power plants and gas pipelines.

Measures

International organizations have been working on these pressing issues within the framework of several projects. These are the ecological rehabilitation of the town of Sumgait by the UNDP, an “Urgent Environmental Investment Project” by the World Bank; moreover, the Soros Foundation’s East-West program has supported ecological education on the problems of the Caspian Sea, ozone depletion and health consequences, and sustainable development of the Caspian countries. In addition to that, ISAR-Azerbaijan has been providing grants for environmental programs aimed at strengthening cooperation between environmental NGOs in Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Russia and Turkmenistan. IREX scholarships in environmental science cover nuclear safety, urban studies and planning, and the oil and gas industry. The three states all finalized National Environmental Action Plans in the late 1990s. The Armenian EAP identifies the excess exploitation of natural resources, including depletion of water resources, erosion of soil, and degradation of biodiversity as the main environmental concerns, focusing specifically on the deteriorating condition of Lake Sevan and the decreasing forest coverage of the country). Azerbaijan’s plan assessed and prioritized environmental issues and provided a framework for investment in the sector. Some of the most pressing environmental problems that the NEAP aims to deal with include the Caspian sea and the Apsheron peninsula’s situation. The Georgian NEAP has prioritized to reduce the environmental impact of agriculture through a program of development and demonstration of best agricultural practices, and a watershed management demonstration program to promote public awareness and protection of soil resources; to implement programs for protecting the Black Sea together with riparian states; to protect biodiversity in Georgia; to protect Georgia’s forests through introducing concepts of forest management and sustainable use, development of forest management capacity, enforcement of protective regulations, and participation in regional and international cooperative forestry initiatives.