DUSHANBE, May 17, 2011, Asia-Plus — The first set of riparian information-sharing and discussion meetings on the assessment studies for the proposed Roghun Regional Water Reservoir and Hydropower Project (Roghun HPP) has opened in Almaty, Kazakhstan today.
Tajik delegation attending the meeting is led by the First deputy Prime Minister Asadullo Ghulomov.
According to the Word bank Dushanbe Office, the government delegations of six countries (Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan) are meeting on May 17-18 and a discussion meeting for representatives of civil society will take place on May 19.
As part of its expanded role in supporting the Assessment Studies for the proposed Roghun HPP, the World Bank has established two independent Panels of Experts: Engineering and Dam Safety Panel and an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment Panel. The role of the Panels, who are constituted, managed and funded by the World Bank, is to ensure due diligence and international quality standards, as well as objectivity and credibility through independent advice and guidance.
We will recall that at the conclusion of his visit to Tajikistan, the World Bank Director for Strategy and Operations for the Europe and Central Asia (ECA) Region Mr. Theodore Ahlers said that the first reports would outline the methodology for the assessments. According to him, the process will continue in phases, with the next round of consultations taking place tentatively in the fall of 2011. “We are committed to completing the assessments as quickly as possible, consistent with international quality standards. The final reports should be available by the end of 2012,” Mr. Ahlers said.
According to the current schedule for the two Assessment Studies and subject to the timely completion of required additional geotechnical site investigation studies, the consultants will in September 2011 submit reports with recommendations on the following three aspects: the viability of constructing an initial stage of the proposed Roghun HPP with an intermediate height dam as a stand-alone project; the environmental and social assessment of this prospective initial stage of the Roghun project; and the basic parameters for the techno-economic, environmental and social feasibility for a full height Roghun dam.
The consultants’ recommendations will be reviewed by the Panels of Experts, as well as the riparian governments and civil society stakeholders in the period from September to November 2011 when the next round of riparian consultations will take place. The draft Environmental and Social Impact Assessment is expected to be disclosed in December 2011.
As it had been reported earlier, to raise funds to complete construction of the Roghun HPP the government started to sell shares in Roghun to people on January 6, 2010. Tajikistan has reportedly issued 6 billion somoni (US$1.37 billion) worth of Roghun shares. Officials were reportedly optimistic that enough can be raised to complete at least two generating lines, which should help alleviate crippling energy shortages. To-date, the sale of Roghun shares has earned the government 830 million somoni (equivalent to 188.5 million U.S. dollars).
These plans have raised serious concerns across the border in Uzbekistan. Uzbek officials argue that because it could take up to 18 years to fill, the Roghun project will severely reduce the amount of water flowing into Uzbekistan.
In March 2010, the government of Tajikistan and the World Bank signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation to achieve sustainable development of Tajikistan”s energy resources, secure supply of energy services to the people of Tajikistan and promote balanced economic growth. Under this document, the techno-economic, the environmental and social impact assessments for the Roghun hydroelectricity project will be conducted Hydropower Project (HPP).
The World Bank has reached an understanding with the Government of Tajikistan that no new construction would commence until after the techno-economic and environmental/social studies have been shared and discussed with riparians, and the studies are reviewed by the independent Bank-funded Panel of Experts to determine feasibility.
Tajikistan’s national budget for this year has earmarked 850 million somoni for Roghun’s construction.
