In Kazakhstan, the ecological society «Green Salvation» opposes the construction of a new hydroelectric power station in the Ile-Alatau National Park.
What happened
Almaty authorities reported that they intend to reconstruct the dam on Lake Issyk. Later, information appeared that the lake manager, Habel LLP «Habel», plans to build a hydroelectric power station on the lake and develop tourism. The Ecological Society «Green Rescue» sent a request to government agencies to obtain information about these projects, but so far has only received replies in response. Environmental activists reported this on their official website.
Details
EO «Green Salvation» sent the first letter to the Committee of Forestry and Wildlife, since Lake Issyk is located between the Almaty State Nature Reserve and the Ile-Alatau National Park.
The answer was short:
«Lake Issyk and the construction of a hydroelectric power station on it are not within the competence of the committee and are under the jurisdiction of the akimat of the Almaty region. In this connection, to obtain the relevant information, you must contact the regional akimat».
On May 12, environmental activists sent a detailed request to the regional akim’s office.
They asked for the following information:
- which government body will decide on the development of tourism, the construction of a dam and hydroelectric power station on Lake Issyk;
- what opportunities are there for public participation in the decision-making process on the issues mentioned above;
- from which government agency can you obtain a feasibility study for the project;
- whether an environmental impact assessment has been carried out on the future construction of the hydroelectric power station.
From May 14 to 19, government agencies of the Almaty region managed to redirect the appeal of environmental activists four times: from the tourism department to the department of natural resources and environmental management, then – to the department of agriculture, the department of water resources and irrigation, and the finance department.
Chairman of EO «Green Salvation» Sergei Kuratov told BES.media that they eventually received a response from the finance department of the Almaty region. But it did not contain information about which government agency will make the decision on the development of tourism, reconstruction of the dam and construction of a hydroelectric power station on Lake Issyk. The department also did not answer questions about how the public can participate in the decision-making process on the reconstruction of the dam and the construction of a new hydroelectric power station, as well as – where you can get and see a feasibility study of these projects.
Environmental activists also did not learn from the department’s response whether an environmental impact assessment of large-scale construction in Issyk had been carried out.
The government agency’s response stated:
«An important aspect of successful project implementation is strict compliance with environmental regulations and requirements. Environmental impact assessment and the development of measures to minimize negative consequences are mandatory. Preservation of the unique ecosystem of Lake Issyk and surrounding areas should be a priority when considering the possibility of constructing a hydroelectric power station».
EO «Green Salvation» sent a complaint to the akimat of the Almaty region regarding the failure to provide complete and comprehensive information on projects for the reconstruction of the dam and the construction of a hydroelectric power station on Lake Issyk.
This is important
Environmental activists «Green Salvation» explained why they are filling up information from government agencies.
«Now the manager of Lake Issyk has announced that they are planning to build a hydroelectric power station. We are against this construction. Two hydroelectric power stations have already been built on the territory of the national park in the Issyk Gorge; now we are talking about building a third hydroelectric power station on the dam itself on Lake Issyk. This construction may negatively affect the ecosystem of the lake – its hydrological regime will change, flora and fauna will suffer. We demand that the Akimat of the Almaty region provide us with the information on the basis of which such a decision was made, design and estimate documentation for the construction of the hydroelectric power station, and voice all responsible persons. If documentation exists, we must make sure of its legality; if it does not exist, we will demand a ban on the construction of hydroelectric power stations. This is how we acted in the case of Kok-Zhailau, with Charyn, when illegal construction was planned there, and achieved their cancellation», – explained the chairman of EO «Green Salvation» Sergei Kuratov to BES.media.
What else
Environmental activists emphasized that the construction of hydroelectric power stations is prohibited by the Law «On Specially Protected Natural Areas» not only in national parks, but even in their protected zones.
But how then did two hydroelectric power stations appear earlier in the Issyk Gorge on the territory of the national park?
EO «Green Rescue» believes that both hydroelectric power stations were built in gross violations of the law.
«We do not have access to complete and reliable environmental information, and we cannot yet obtain accurate information about who is currently in charge of Lake Issyk. One is listed on the maps of the reserve, on the maps of the Ile-Alatau National Park – another, on cadastral maps – third. It is impossible to find out who the specific owner of this territory is from open sources. Adjacent to the lake on one side is the Almaty Nature Reserve, on the other – Ile-Alatau National Park. Even if the lake and its coast are not part of them, they are a protected zone of a nature reserve and park. Economic activity in the protected zone is limited by law. The entire surrounding ecosystem depends on the lake. You cannot build a hydroelectric power station on a lake or in a gorge, either earlier or now. There is a growing shortage of water resources in the Almaty region, and the construction of another hydroelectric power station will lead to a deterioration in the environmental situation. The lake may become shallow», – said Sergei Kuratov.
Should Ile-Alatau National Park be on the UNESCO heritage list
According to the environmental activist, the environmental situation in the Ile-Alatau National Park is very bad, and if the vigorous economic activity on its territory is not stopped, it will worsen.
Ile-Alatau National Park is included in the preliminary list for nomination to the UNESCO World Heritage List. If large-scale construction continues on its territory, then nothing will remain of the park.
Issyk Gorge – is a clear example of this. After the mudflow of 1963, a lot of ruins remained in the gorge and on the shore of the lake; no one has been cleaning them for more than 60 years.
The gorge itself is built up with water pipelines, pipelines, power lines, hydroelectric power stations, and it is losing its tourist attractiveness.
«Now the map of the national park looks like a chessboard, it is full of «black holes» – territories that do not belong to anyone. There are many tenants on the property who dispose of the land as if it were their private property. There are, I think, unauthorized plots of land. Even those who officially rent land on the territory of the national park often behave inappropriately – do not comply with environmental standards, build up river banks, and place garbage containers almost near the water. All this causes colossal damage to the natural environment, but violators do not bear any responsibility», – stated Sergei Kuratov.
What government agencies say
It is interesting that the Department of Ecology of the Almaty Region has not yet confirmed plans for construction in the national park.
«As of this date, the department has not received an application for an environmental permit to carry out environmental impact on the above projects. In this regard, consideration of these projects in terms of their environmental support is currently not possible», – the head of the department, Konysbek Bayedilov, responded to a request from BES.media regarding the implementation of projects for the reconstruction of the dam on Lake Issyk and the construction of a hydroelectric power station (HPP) on the territory of the Ile-Alatau National Park.
Obviously, the absence of statements does not mean that they will not appear in the near future, so BES.media will monitor the development of the situation.
The infrastructure will be developed, but what exactly is unknown
The dam on Lake Issyk (cadastral number 03:044:307:109), located on a land plot with an area of 141,643 hectares in the rural district of Turgen, Enbekshikazakh district, was transferred by the regional financial department to the trust management of Habel LLP on an open competitive basis. This was reported to BES.media by the head of the water resources and irrigation department of the Almaty region, Elzhas Musakhanov.
According to him, «Habel» LLP has developed an action plan for the development of infrastructure on Lake Issyk, this plan was approved by the finance department (why the plan did not fall into the hands of regional environmentalists is unknown).
The LLP plans to invest 23.6 billion tenge in the implementation of this plan.
We are talking about multifactorial research work, a restoration work project, work on mechanical cleaning of the base of Lake Issyk and the installation of an SRU, explained the Department of Water Resources and Irrigation of the Almaty Region.
BES.media also asked for information on the proposed construction of a hydroelectric power station on Lake Issyk.
We asked:
- Is there a feasibility study for this project and where can I get acquainted with it?
- What are the parameters of this power plant: how much area will it occupy, how much electricity will it generate, for whose needs, how much water will it consume to generate electricity?
- Has this project passed environmental assessment?
- Have there been public hearings on this project?
- Does the owner of Lake Issyk have the right to build a hydroelectric power station in the water protection zone on the territory of the Ile-Alatau National Park? How legal is this?
However, the head of the water resources and irrigation department of the Almaty region, Elzhas Musakhanov, chose not to answer these questions, as if they were not in the request.
BES.media
