DUSHANBE, May 20, 2011, Asia-Plus — Uzbekistan has ignored an information-sharing and discussion meeting on the assessment studies for the proposed Roghun Regional Water Reservoir and Hydropower Project (Roghun HPP) that took place in Almaty, Kazakhstan from May 17 to May 19, Radio Liberty’s Tajik Service reports.
In an interview with RFE/RL’s Tajik Service, the First Deputy Prime Minister Asadullo Ghulomov, who headed Tajik government delegations at the meeting, noted, “We would like to discuss Roghun issue with representatives of Uzbekistan but they, unfortunately, have decided not to participate in these negotiations.”
Mr. Ghulomov noted that there was nothing like discussing disputable issues looking each other in the eyes. Tajik official expressed hope that they would manage to discuss the Roghun hydroelectricity project with representatives of Uzbekistan at the next round of consultations scheduled for autumn this year.
According to him, representatives of other Central Asia’s countries (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan) attended the meeting and they expressed wish to continue studying the project. Ghulomov noted that Kazakhstan had expressed readiness to participate in construction of the Roghun hydroelectric power plant after detailed discussion of the project.
Tajik official noted that Afghan delegation had failed to attend the meeting because it had been notified of the meeting late.
We will recall that three-day information-sharing discussions on the assessment studies for the Roghun HPP began in Almaty on May 17. The government delegations met on May 17-18 and a discussion meeting for representatives of civil society took place on May 19.
It was the first set of riparian information-sharing and discussion meetings on the assessment studies for the Roghun hydroelectricity project.
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.
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.
Tajikistan’s plans to build the Roghun HPP 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 and the Government of Tajikistan have reached an understanding 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.
