Energy and Security in Central Asia and the Caucasus

Energy – in the form of oil and gas – is the most plentiful and valuable natural resource of the Caspian Sea and its vicinity. The opening up of the region’s hydrocarbon reserves represents one of the most significant consequences of the Soviet Union’s collapse in 1991. Potential benefits from energy development to national and commercial entities are enormous, but so are the challenges stemming from the expansion of global economy, international and intra-regional competition, and the internal political dynamics of the Caspian states. The region is at the crossroads: from its current volatile situation, it could evolve either as an area of crisis, or as a zone of stability. The dynamics of energy development will be crucial for determining the actual outcome. The course will address the politics of hydrocarbons in the Caucasus and Central Asia as a security problem. While substantial attention will be paid to the traditional balance-of-power contest involving external states, such as Russia, the USA, China, Turkey, and Iran, it will attempt to go beyond pure geopolitics and address broader questions: Is energy development making conflict more or less likely in the region? What will be the domestic impact of the expected hydrocarbon boom? What are the implications for the human and natural environment?