Kambar-Ata-1: there is no access to environmental assessment, questions remain
On June 18-19, 2025, a round table was held in Bishkek dedicated to the implementation of the large-scale project of the Kambar-Ata HPP-1, where the projects of the feasibility study (feasibility study) and environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) were presented. The event, according to the Ministry of Energy of the Kyrgyz Republic, was attended by representatives of relevant departments of Kyrgyzstan, as well as delegations from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, World Bank experts and international specialists. The Kyrgyz side assured that the project will meet high international standards, and the documents submitted by the international companies AFRY (Feasibility Study) and SMEC (ESIA) take into account the minimization of environmental and social consequences.
However, the ecological coalition “Rivers without Boundaries”, which is actively involved in issues of transboundary water resources in Central Asia and has repeatedly stated its direct interest in discussing the Kambar-Ata HPP-1 project, did not receive an invitation to this key round table. Moreover, access to the ESIA materials, which, according to statements, were discussed at the meeting, remains closed to the general public and independent experts. The relevant documents are not even available on the official project page on the World Bank website, where, according to the policy of the financial institution, they must be published to ensure transparency and the possibility of public control. This situation raises questions about the completeness of compliance with the procedures of public participation in the discussion of the Kambar-Ata HPP-1 project, which has a significant transboundary impact.
Recall, at preliminary consultations in November 2024, representatives of the Rivers Without Boundaries coalition also noted the lack of specific materials for a detailed analysis of the project, asking a number of questions that have not yet been answered.
Kambar-Ata HPP-1, with a planned dam height of 256 meters and a capacity of 1,860 MW on the Naryn River, is the largest hydropower project in the Syrdarya basin, and its implementation can significantly affect the water and energy balance of the entire region. During the creation of the giant reservoir of the Kambar-Ata HPP-1, significant areas of land, including floodplain forests and meadows, will be flooded. Many species, especially endemic or rare, may be threatened with extinction due to habitat loss. There may also be problems with the water supply of the underlying countries (Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan), since the Naryn is a key tributary of the Syr Darya.
Original (in Russian): Камбар-Ата-1: доступа к экологической оценке нет, вопросы остаются
