The World Bank Inspection Board has published an official request for an investigation into projects related to the construction of the Rogun hydroelectric power station in Tajikistan. The complaint against the World Bank’s actions, filed on behalf of local residents from Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan living downstream of the Amu Darya River, highlights the serious and potentially irreversible environmental and socio-economic risks associated with this large-scale hydropower project.
The interests of the applicants are represented by the international environmental coalition «Rivers without Boundaries». Environmentalists note that the upcoming investigation should answer critical questions about the compliance of the Rogun hydroelectric power station construction project with the World Bank’s own socio-environmental standards. The applicants allege that the decision to finance the construction of the Rogun hydroelectric power station was made by the Board of Directors of the World Bank, despite an incomplete and outdated Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA), which does not adequately reflect transboundary risks and the cumulative impact of the project on vulnerable ecosystems and the population of the Amu Darya basin.
The request sets out the likely catastrophic consequences of the Rogun hydroelectric power station project for the region, including a significant (up to 25% or more) reduction in the flow entering the Amu Darya delta when the reservoir is filled. Changing the water regime due to the creation and operation of the giant Rogun Reservoir is likely to exacerbate existing problems of desertification and soil salinity, negatively affecting the health and well-being of 8-10 million people in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. Of particular concern is the threat to unique tugai forests, including the reserve «Tiger Beam», designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2023, as well as fish species on the verge of complete extinction, such as the Amu Darya false shovelnose.
«The Rogun hydroelectric power station project in its current unfinished form poses a colossal threat to environmental stability and the well-being of millions of people in Central Asia. Registration of the request by the Inspection Board – is an important step, confirming the seriousness of our concerns. The World Bank, as a leading international financial institution, cannot ignore its own socio-environmental standards and is obliged to provide a comprehensive and objective assessment of all risks before continuing to finance the project», – Evgeniy Simonov, international coordinator of the environmental coalition «Rivers Without Borders», is sure.
Environmentalists also share the applicants’ concerns about the lack of proper consultation with the affected local population in downstream countries (Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan) and regarding insufficient disclosure of information about the Rogun hydroelectric power station project, including emergency plans, as well as the lack of documents in the languages of affected communities (Uzbek, Karakalpak, Turkmen). The fact that the applicants were forced to ask for their confidentiality due to the threat of persecution highlights the difficult situation in the region with public participation in discussions on the implementation of large infrastructure projects.
«The inhabitants of the lower reaches of the Amu Darya have been suffering for decades from the consequences of unsound water management and the degradation of the Aral Sea. The Rogun hydroelectric power station risks becoming the last straw, which will lead to the irreversible degradation of vital ecosystems and further deterioration of human living conditions. The lack of a full-fledged dialogue with the population of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, whose lives directly depend on the condition of the river, is a gross violation of the principles of participation and transparency. We demand an immediate review of approaches to impact assessment and ensuring the meaningful participation of all stakeholders», – says Manana Kochladze, a representative of the non-governmental organization CEE Bankwatch, which is also actively involved in the process of reviewing the Rogun hydroelectric power station project for compliance with socio-environmental standards of the World Bank.
It is worth recalling that last year environmentalists proposed reworking the Rogun hydroelectric power station project in accordance with the socio-environmental standards of the World Bank, as well as considering safer and more economical alternatives to the construction of the tallest dam in the world. However, the bank did not consider these proposals.
The Coalition «Rivers Without Borders» calls on the World Bank and other financial institutions involved in the Rogun hydroelectric power station project in Tajikistan to suspend funding until a comprehensive, independent and transparent investigation into all issues raised in the request is carried out and adequate measures are developed to prevent and mitigate the negative consequences of the project.
Page on the problems of the Rogun hydroelectric power station on the website of the World Bank Inspection Board: Sustainable Financing for Rogun Hydropower Project (P181029) and Technical Assistance for Financing Framework for Rogun Hydropower Project (P178819) | Inspection Panel
