The Nabucco Project Within the Context of Energy Supply Security and International Politics
The Nabucco Project is a project, which aims to transport rich natural gas resources of the Central Asia, the Caucasus and the Middle East to the European market via Turkey. In this study, the Nabucco Project was evaluated within context of the energy supply security concept and international politics. Firstly, interdependence between national power and energy supply security was investigated. How oil and natural gas became strategic raw materials of world politics beyond being primary energy resources of the global economy was examined. It was found that discovery of rich oil and natural gas resources in the Central Asia and the Caucasus after the Cold War turned the region into a focus of interest of the global and regional actors. In this connection, perspectives of the global and regional actors about the Nabucco Project were examined.As a result of analyses and evaluations, it was concluded that the Nabucco Project is a project that can significantly enhance Turkey’s geopolitical importance and make Turkey one of the key countries of the east-west energy corridor.
A development model for the internationalization of SME agro-food of Puglia: the ISCI project
The project targets the Axis 1 of the European territorial cooperation INTERREG program Greece-Italy 2007-2013. The project was born with the aim of strengthen the presence of the local agri-food SMEs on the foreign markets, enhancing innovation processes through an economic and coordinated cooperation so to ease the internationalization processes of the two targeted areas. After a literature review, we analyzed the economic context of Apulia Region; then we proceed to the definition of a model for the internationalization of SMEs Agro-food of Puglia through the constitution of scientific and technological incubators that will network to deliver innovative services for the internationalization of the agri-food system. The final aim is to develop innovative services of marketing intelligence (MI) to spread knowledge and information about the international markets and the creation and implementation of databases for the search and classification of informative sources.
Water Quality Aspects of Irrigation and Drainage: Past History and Future Challenges for Civil Engineers
This paper presents a brief history of irrigation and drainage related to ASCE activities on its Jubilee. This paper discusses legislation and policies that affect irrigation and drainage practices, water quality constituents of increasing concern in irrigation and drainage practices, and presents a prognosis on the future of declining freshwater resources available for irrigated agriculture and growing water quality problems in irrigation and drainage. Civil engineers in ASCE’s Irrigation and Drainage Division have compiled an 80-year history of highly meritorious service and accomplishments. In the next millennium, civil engineers will face a formidable challenge in managing and protecting the precious freshwater resources in the U.S.