DUSHANBE, October 16, 2013, Asia-Plus — The next fourth consultation and information-sharing session for civil society on the assessment studies of the proposed Roghun Hydropower Project (HPP) in Tajikistan will take place in Dushanbe from October 17-18.
According to the World Bank Dushanbe Office, the session is expected to cover summaries of reports that examine aspects of dam safety. These summaries were submitted by Coyne et Bellier and have been reviewed by the independent Panel of Experts, but will not be considered final until after riparian counterparts and civil society stakeholders have provided comments and feedback through the consultation period. Consultations will be held among the governments and civil society groups of the riparian countries.
As part of the ongoing Roghun Assessment Studies, the World Bank on October 1 disclosed summaries of two reports: 1) the Geological and Geotechnical Investigation of the Salt Wedge in the Dam Foundation and Reservoir; and 2) an Assessment of the Existing Roghun Hydropower Project Works.
The first report examines the potential impact on dam safety of the wedge of salt that exists along the Ionakhsh Fault and serves as a critical decision point in the overall Roghun Assessment Study process.
The second report evaluates the conditions of the existing facilities, including tunnels and caverns, and makes recommendations for bringing the facilities to the required standards of safety and quality).
These two summaries will be the subject of consultations and information-sharing sessions on October 17 and 18. These summaries represent two phases of the ongoing Techno-Economic Assessment Study (TEAS) and will be followed by subsequent technical phases and the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment.
So far, studies on the following topics have been disclosed and consulted on with stakeholders: hydrology, design criteria, geological investigations in the downstream right bank, seismic hazard assessment, and site layouts and cost comparisons for different dam heights. Additional interim studies are currently underway, including the economic and financial analyses of the proposed project, as well as the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA). Additional consultations will be held to review and discuss these documents. Together, all of these documents comprise the full Assessment Studies and will serve as an input to decision-making about the proposed Roghun Hydropower Project.
