A round table was held in Bishkek on June 18-19, 2025, dedicated to the progress of the implementation of the large-scale project of Kambarata HPP-1, where projects for a feasibility study (feasibility study) and environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) were presented. The event, according to the Ministry of Energy of the Kyrgyz Republic, was attended by representatives of relevant departments of Kyrgyzstan, as well as delegations from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, World Bank experts and international specialists. The Kyrgyz side assured that the project will meet high international standards, and the documents presented by the international companies AFRY (feasibility study) and SMEC (OVOSS) take into account the minimization of environmental and social consequences.

However, the environmental coalition «Rivers Without Borders», which is actively involved in transboundary water issues in Central Asia and has repeatedly stated its direct interest in discussing the Kambarata HPP-1 project, has not received an invitation to this key round table. Moreover, access to OVOSS materials, which were said to have been discussed at the meeting, remains closed to the general public and independent experts. The relevant documents are not even available on the official project page on the World Bank website, where, according to the financial institution’s policy, they must be published to ensure transparency and the possibility of public control. This situation raises questions about the completeness of compliance with public participation procedures in the discussion of the Kambarata HPP-1 project, which has a significant transboundary impact.

Let us recall that at preliminary consultations in November 2024, representatives of the coalition «Rivers Without Borders» also noted the lack of specific materials for a detailed analysis of the project, asking a number of questions that have not yet been answered.

Kambarata HPP-1, with a planned dam height of 256 meters and a capacity of 1860 MW on the Naryn River, is the largest hydropower project in the Syr Darya basin, and its implementation can significantly affect the water and energy balance of the entire region. When the giant reservoir of Kambarata HPP-1 is created, significant areas of land will be flooded, including floodplain forests and meadows. Many species, especially endemic or rare, may be endangered due to habitat loss. Problems may also arise with the water supply of the underlying countries (Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan), since the Naryn is a key tributary of the Syr Darya.