 |
| Volume XVI, Winter 2009, Number 4 |
| |
EXCERPT
Environmental Security and Regional Stability in the Persian Gulf
|
| |
| James A. Russell |
| |
Dr. Russell is a senior lecturer at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California.
As environmental issues exert an increasing impact on Persian Gulf security and stability, the region offers lessons on the prospects for adapting to and mitigating the effects of a hostile environment. While, on the one hand, the steel and glass towers
of Abu Dhabi, Riyadh and Doha are the envy of developing states around the world, the glass towers of these states form only the most visible parts of a massive environmental mitigation and adaptation program that has stretched back many decades in one of the world’s most inhospitable
regions. However, the ability of the Gulf states to continue this expensive effort depends on the continued expansion of world petroleum markets — markets that are dumping carbon emissions largely from the developed world into the atmosphere.
These emissions must be controlled
if the world is to credibly address climate change. Hence, the challenge of climate change is inextricably intertwined with the functioning of the world petroleum
markets on which the Gulf states depend for their environmental mitigation and adaptation efforts. If these efforts fail, societies throughout the Gulf will be negatively affected, and regional stability will surely be compromised.
This article concerns the challenge posed by climate change and environmental
security to the Persian Gulf region: Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and the smaller states of Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Oman. All largely depend upon the predictable functioning of international
energy markets to continue their economic growth. These markets have also provided these states with the means to delay political reforms while they maintain traditional forms of government. The cascades
of cash dumped into the coffers of the regional elites by their customers have, in turn, allowed the elites to “buy off” their populations through expensive and inefficient
subsidy and welfare programs. In the Gulf, the security of the governing elites is thus inextricably intertwined with the orderly functioning of international energy markets. Those market functions must be addressed as the global consensus slowly coalesces around what to do about global climate change. This article will summarize
the challenges facing the ruling elites as they seek to continue their grip on political
power while simultaneously dealing with the politics of climate change and the severe environmental stresses throughout the Gulf region.
For access to the full article, subscribe to Middle East Policy today!
|
| |
|
