The Forgotten South Caucasus: Where Oil and Water (and Gas!) Mix

Nadya Ivanova of Circle of Blue wrote this informative article on the water-energy nexus in the South Caucasus. Self-promotion alert: Ms. Ivanova interviewed me a while back and refers to my work in the South Caucasus via the NATO - OSCE South Caucasus River Monitoring (SCRM) Project.

I previously posted about the project and the South Caucasus on 22 July 2008 and 25 May 2008.

The article also serves as a good reminder that I need to finish the final report.

Here is an excellent map from the article, prepared by Hannah Nester and Eric Daigh. It nicely shows the two major pipelines transporting oil (BTC) and gas (BTE) from Azerbaijan to Turkey and the Kura-Araks Basin:

 My understanding is that the Nabucco pipeline begins in Erzurum, where the BTE pipeline terminates. The map indicates otherwise.

I recommend the article. You'll get some different perspectives on this small but critically important region.

Thanks to Todd Jarvis for sending this article my way.

Note added on 7 September 2009: the map above is incorrect in that it neglects to show the Azerbaijan autonomous region of Nakhchivan but instead includes it as part of Armenia, which elicited a complaint from Elvin (see comment). The map shown here shows the exclave of Nakhchivan as separate from Armenia, as it should be.

I used the map above simply because it's the only map showing all the pipelines. My apologies.

I am surprised Elvin did not complain about Nagorno-Karabakh, a heavily Armenian enclave wholly within Azerbaijan that is not recognized as an independent country except Armenia.  Azerbaijan considers N-K part of it. Nagorno-Karabakh is shown in red on the map above.

"The optimist learns English. The pessimist learns Chinese. The realist learns Kalashnikov." -- South Caucasus colleague

Comments

[Elvin]

I am from Azerbaijan.My name is Elvin.
I demand that you on a card (Water News-Mao of the South Caucasus and the Kura-Araks River Basin) have shown border Nahichevan. I live in Azerbaijan area Independent Republics Nahichevan. On a card it is shown that Nahichevan the Armenian area. Correct a mistake. You break law United Nations

[Michael]

Hi, Elvin.

Thanks for your comment and correction.

I knew the map omitted Nakhchivan but used it anyway because it was the only one showing all the relevant pipelines. The map was prepared by Circle of Blue; I took it from their article.

I will not remove the map, but have added a note of explanation and a corrected map.

I am surprised you did not comment on Nagorno-Karabakh, since Azerbaijan and everyone else (except Armenia) does not recognize it as a separate country, but a part of Azerbaijan.