Ecological damage is generally proportional to the population density. The demographic growth contributes to shortages of fresh water and food. Many countries experience water scarcity while agricultural production increases through overexploitation of water resources, deforestation and other environmental damage. Potential solutions would require adoption of new principles, in particular, that no population group on a national or international scale, neither ethnic nor confessional minorities, may obtain advantages because of a faster growth. Relevant demographic problems of the North Caucasus and the eastern Mediterranean are discussed here. Both the mountainous and arid territories are hardly suitable for self-sustaining existence of the dense population. Both regions receive financial support and, at the same time, are sources of emigration. The agriculture in conditions of insufficient water and energy supply is economically and ecologically unfavorable as fossil fuels are used for the water desalination, which is accompanied by greenhouse gas emissions. The energy for desalination could be supplied by nuclear power plants. The weightiest argument against nuclear facilities is that they are potential war targets.Durable peace and international cooperation are needed for this and other humanitarian projects.