Following the results of the on-site meeting, the authorities of the Kazakh region of Zhetisu announced that there were no threats to the unique petroglyphs of Eshkiolmes from the Verkhne-Talaptinskaya hydroelectric power station under construction. However, according to social activists and experts, only one small facility is considering the official statement, keeping silent about the risks posed by the construction of the entire cascade of hydroelectric power stations on the Koksu River. Activists fear that Central Asia’s largest cluster of rock art, included in the tentative UNESCO World Heritage List, is under threat.
While the press service of the akimat reports that the Verkhne-Talaptinskaya hydroelectric power station does not involve the construction of a dam to create a reservoir and will not change the microclimate, experts from the environmental coalition «Rivers Without Borders» point to another, much more serious threat.
«As part of the same cascade on the Koksu River, it is planned to build a large Talapta hydroelectric power station with a capacity of 150 MW, which technically cannot do without a dam and a large reservoir, — notes the director of the public fund «Rivers without Borders» Alexander Kolotov. –It is the creation of such a reservoir that will change the humidity in the area, which can accelerate the erosion of rocks and provoke the growth of lichens that destroy ancient paintings. Archaeological sites that have not yet been explored may also be underwater. In addition, the Koksu River is also home to rare and endemic fish and amphibians, such as the Siberian frogtooth».
Not only the OF «Rivers Without Borders», but also other public organizations, including the public foundation «Petroglyph Hunters», claim systemic violations during the implementation of the entire project on the Koksu River. According to them, a single cascade of seven hydroelectric power stations was artificially fragmented into separate projects, which made it possible to avoid conducting a unified comprehensive examination. Activists claim that mandatory public hearings and archaeological examinations were not carried out on a number of objects, and project documentation is not available to the public. This is a violation not only of the Environmental Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan, but also of the international Aarhus Convention.
The archaeological complex of Eshkiolmes, according to various estimates, numbers up to 25 thousand petroglyphs from the Bronze Age to the Kazakh Khanate and is an object of world significance, the study of which is far from complete. In addition to cultural heritage, the tourism potential of the Koksu — International Rafting Center, where the Asian Championships were held in 2023, is also under threat. The construction of a cascade of hydroelectric power stations, according to the Rafting Federation of Kazakhstan, will also destroy the river as a sports facility.
Social activists demand strict compliance with the law and a transparent examination, taking into account all the risks posed by the project to build a cascade of hydroelectric power stations on the Koksu River.
Alexander Eskendirov (Rivers.Help!)
