Energy Security in the Middle East Research Paper

Energy Security in the Middle East - Research Paper Example The research paper "Energy Security in the Middle East" discusses the energy security in the Middle East by focusing on various aspects such as energy security threats as well as global issues that are associated with energy security. Access to cheap energy has become significant in the functioning of modern economies. A significant vulnerability has emerged as a result of uneven distribution of energy supplies among various countries. Energy security is defined by international energy agency as the uninterrupted availability of energy sources at a reasonable price. There are various aspects that have been associated with energy security. They include both short–term and long term energy security. Short-term energy security tends to focus on the ability of the system of energy to respond promptly to immediate changes in the supply-demand balance whereas the long term energy security deals with the timely investment targeting energy supply and in line with environmental needs a nd economic developments. There seems to be a consensus on the issue of energy security achieving a certain significance since the energy shocks that was witnessed in the 1970s when present asymmetries between energy consumers and geographical distribution resources had been consolidated by most countries especially in the Middle East that depends on petroleum. Since then energy security has been incorporated into debates of the international relations theories. The existing international relations theories have demonstrated various approaches.