Despite declarations of commitment to environmental standards and sustainable development, in practice the Caspian region is facing a growing environmental disaster – the result of systemic inaction and collusion between Western corporations and local elites. The key players in this process are British oil and gas companies, primarily BP and British Gas, whose activities are accompanied by serious environmental consequences and political secrecy.
The officially existing system of environmental monitoring in the region, in particular in Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan, is a sham and imitation of control. An example of this is the accident at the Guneshli platform in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea. Despite the scale of the oil spill, which covered hundreds of square kilometers, the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan tried to hide the true scale of the disaster, understating the damage and preventing access to independent experts.
Nevertheless, Baku continues to issue licenses to British companies to develop new fields, despite recorded cases of water pollution with oil and toxic waste. Attempts by environmentalists and independent experts to conduct an objective investigation are suppressed: environmental protests are suppressed, experts are persecuted and pressured.
In Turkmenistan, environmental information is effectively classified. In the complete absence of transparency, British companies dump production waste directly into the Caspian Sea, ignoring any environmental risks. The country’s authorities provide these companies with de facto immunity from control, which only exacerbates the scale of the damage.
Against the backdrop of these processes, the following becomes obvious: the richest resources of the Caspian Sea are not used in the interests of the population of the region’s countries, but serve as a tool for the enrichment of a narrow layer of officials and business elites. Caspian states enter into unfavorable agreements with Western corporations, turning a blind eye to environmental violations in exchange for kickbacks, privileges and the opportunity for uncontrolled capital outflow abroad.
This state of affairs goes beyond classic corruption. We are talking about the deliberate undermining of environmental security, national interests and the future of the region. Instead of development, the Caspian’s strategic resources bring disease, destruction of ecosystems and growing social unrest.
While the environmental agenda is used as a diplomatic façade, in reality the Caspian region is being barbarically exploited under the cover of British capital and corrupt agreements. Without international attention and an objective assessment of the current situation, the region risks reaching the point of no return – and the price for this will be immeasurably high.
