International experts are sounding the alarm: the nature of the Western Tien Shan is under serious threat – primarily due to the construction and design of numerous hydroelectric power plants (HPPs) that can cause irreparable damage to the fragile ecosystems of the region.
The official report of the joint mission of the UNESCO World Heritage Center and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which took place in September 2024 and was devoted to studying the condition of the unique natural UNESCO World Heritage Site «Western Tien Shan», located in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, has been published.
The Western Tien Shan – center of origin for many cultivated plants, including wild apple trees, apricots, walnuts and pistachios, the ancestors of modern varieties. It is home to dozens of rare and endangered animal species, such as the snow leopard, Menzbier’s marmot, several species of vultures, and 20 endemic fish species. The outstanding universal value of the Western Tien Shan, as UNESCO and IUCN experts have found, is under threat due to the indiscriminate placement of poorly founded industrial facilities, which calls into question the ability of the three Central Asian states to ensure the long-term preservation of their heritage.
The main source of concern for experts was hydropower development projects in the Western Tien Shan. In Kyrgyzstan, experts are faced with plans to build a dam on the Chatkal River, right on the territory of the Besh-Aral Nature Reserve, which is a key part of the World Heritage Site. The mission’s recommendation was unequivocal and strong: not to proceed with the construction of any dams, regardless of their size, within the protected area. UNESCO and IUCN experts emphasized that even small reservoirs create stagnant zones with changing temperatures and low oxygen levels, which is detrimental to river fauna. In addition, any proposals to change the boundaries of heritage in order to «withdraw» land for the construction of hydroelectric power stations were called unacceptable.
An equally serious situation is developing in Kazakhstan, where a large project is planned to be implemented in the Sairam-Ugam National Park, which involves the construction of a cascade of dams and reservoirs. The UNESCO and IUCN mission concluded that the assessment of its environmental impact was superficial and did not take into account all risks. In particular, the effects on many species of birds, amphibians, and fish and insects, which are indicators of the health of the river ecosystem, have not been studied. The transformation of a turbulent mountain river into a chain of stagnant bodies of water would be a disaster for species adapted to running water.
Experts also questioned the economic justification for the Kazakhstan project, pointing out that its size is dictated primarily by the needs of electricity generation, and not by the stated goal of providing the population with drinking water. The report stresses that projects focusing exclusively on water supply would have been of a much smaller scale and would accordingly have had a less damaging effect on nature. The position of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee is clear: the construction of dams with large reservoirs is incompatible with heritage status. Dams create insurmountable barriers to the migration of fish and other aquatic organisms, disrupting their life cycles. They change the natural hydrological regime, trapping sediment and nutrients, which leads to the degradation of floodplain ecosystems downstream.
The threat is exacerbated by the cumulative effect. In addition to those already mentioned, several more hydroelectric power stations are planned in the region, including in Uzbekistan on the Chatkal and Pskem rivers. The construction of dams, even if they are outside protected natural areas, fundamentally changes the life of rivers. Each new dam – is another blow to the region’s unified river network. The UNESCO mission urged the three countries to draw up a single map of all ongoing and planned hydropower projects in order to assess their combined impact and prevent a cascading environmental disaster that could undermine the integrity of the entire site «Western Tien Shan».
In addition to hydropower, mining is also a major concern. The report notes that gold exploration has already led to significant land degradation along the Chatkal River in Kyrgyzstan. Satellite images show completely destroyed sections of the river valley, filled-in channels and severe water pollution. These actions directly contradict the «principle of inadmissibility» of conducting extractive activities in World Heritage areas, which is supported by UNESCO.
The final verdict of the international mission sounds like a final warning. The fate of Central Asia’s unique natural heritage hangs in the balance. The governments of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan face a choice: take the path of short-term economic benefits, risking forever losing priceless natural complexes, or listen to the voice of the world community and make a choice in favor of preserving the heritage that belongs to all humanity.
Alexander Eskendirov (Rivers.Help!)
