Description:
Mercury mining, uranium mining, chemical and textile industries, oil facilities and processing plants which contribute to the contamination of the soil with highly toxic heavy metals are recognized as environmental challenges in the region. Even though past spills and contaminations have caused tensions between the different countries of the region, officials do not consistently regard environmental pollution by existing facilities as a security issue. The fact that these activities often are essentials to the nations economies certainly contributes to the cautious approach to industrial pollution and associated issues generally adopted by the various countries.