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Environmental disruption in the 20th century is described, focusing on freshwater & energy, two components relevant to security concerns. Irrigation, the main usage of freshwater, decreased in the 20th century while industrial use of water increased. The increase in energy use in the 20th century has been the primary cause of tumultuous environmental changes. The propositions that environmental change may create security problems or that resource competition may provoke war are analyzed. A third proposition -- the lack of security affects environmental change -- is advanced. Environmental changes are likely to play a greater role in security in the future because environmental resources like water & energy are scarcer than in the past, provoking more competition & population migration. 3 Tables. M. Pflum

Arguing that transborder environmental problems can foster conflict in the Caspian Sea, threats to biological resources & environmental stability are delineated. The sea's biodiversity is at high risk, but the principal imperiled biological resource is the sturgeon; drops in sturgeon hauls are described as catastrophic. This has led to a rise in criminal structures around the fishing of sturgeon, & because the legal status of the Caspian Sea remains unresolved, no progress has been made on preservation & use of the sturgeon. The deleterious economic impact of oil & gas development on Caspian fishing is well into the billions of dollars. Attention turns to the environmental problems confronting the region, focusing on the degradation of the water ecosystems particularly in terms of chemical & biological pollution. This is compounded by sea level fluctuations & natural regional seismicity. The pursuit of an acceptable agreement on the Caspian Sea's legal status is touched on, & some directions for Russian efforts at ensuring environmental security are suggested. J. Zendejas