Climate Change, Energy Security and Societal Vulnerability in Eurasia

Abstract

Climate change, energy security, and societal vulnerability are three normative frameworks providing a “context” to study the notion of “sustainable security”. Demand for “fossil fuel is growing”, hence, a greater concern for securing “cleaner energy” along with maintaining a “harmonious” and “sustainable environment” also exists. The present article attempts to highlight how to maintain a delicate balance between these two above-mentioned normative frameworks to ensure “sustainable security” in Eurasia. The important aspect that needs to be highlighted here is while in the Arctic and Siberian parts of Russia along with the Caspian Region, the energy sector is playing a catalytic factor for climate change, on the other hand, in parts of South Caucasus and along the Baltic, though energy is not a major factor, still they are experiencing climatic change with negative consequences. In Central Asia, however, climate change is putting a stress on “hydropolitics”, this, in turn, is aggravating the “societal insecurity” in terms of “accessibility” to hydro-energy. Henceforth, Eurasia requires a more sustainable and pragmatic policy framework in the context of addressing problems associated with the three above-mentioned normative trajectories.