This book analyzes the legal and economic situation concerning the removal and allocation of natural resources in the Caspian Sea, the largest enclosed body of salt water in the world. It constitutes a fragile ecosystem with great fishery resources and is also rich in oil and gas deposits. The economic advantages gained from the development of oil and gas are the basis for the economic and social development of the riparian states, but they also cause significant transboundary harm to the ecosystem of the Caspian Sea. The book contends that if the local environment becomes more heavily contaminated through the extraction of mineral resources, it could lead to environmentally induced violence. It describes the ongoing conflicts, which are primarily due to various riparian states' territorial claims concerning the extraction of oil and gas resources, and argues that the current situation is unsustainable.