Rogun Dam: Is the World Bank repeating old mistakes and ignoring risks?

The situation around the Rogun Dam construction project in Tajikistan is causing increasing concern among civil society and experts. Despite the fact that the project is already being actively implemented, the World Bank, acting as one of its key partners, continues the policy of information secrecy, effectively excluding the public from any participation in the discussion of the risks and consequences of this large-scale construction. This approach raises serious concerns, especially among the public and Governments of countries located downstream of the Vakhsh and Amu Darya rivers.

Recent events only aggravate the situation. Over the past months, interaction with civil society on the Rogun Dam construction project has not simply not improved, but has degraded to a critical level. No real attempt was made to hold consultations with local communities in downstream countries – rare “discussions” took place in capitals or in online format, which excluded the participation of the most vulnerable groups of the population. The last official meeting with representatives of the coastal countries took place eight months ago in Tashkent and was held without providing any specific materials for analysis, turning into an empty formality.

Even the quarterly meetings with international public organizations promised at first have not been held for more than four months, and the last of them also took place without disclosing any significant new information. The height of cynicism was the recent online session with activists from Turkmenistan, which was held in an extremely incorrect manner – without documents, with aggressive moderation by an official and with complete disregard for the questions asked. The minutes of the meeting were never published. The Rogun Dam construction project still remains a “black box”, and gross violations of the standards of the World Bank itself in the field of interaction with stakeholders continue.

It should not be forgotten that the Rogun Dam project itself carries complex threats exacerbated by climate change, which is already reducing water resources in the region. Further disruption of the flow of the Amu Darya River due to the construction and operation of a giant Dam can cause degradation of unique ecosystems, loss of livelihoods for millions of people downstream and provoke their migration. These fears are magnified many times by the growing fear of the local population, who doubt the safety of the “world’s tallest” dam, given its location in a seismically active zone practically on a tectonic fault, which creates a constant threat of a catastrophic breakthrough.

How can we compensate for such huge risks and threats? Senior officials of the World Bank tirelessly declare that the Rogun Dam will play a crucial role in ensuring energy and water security not only for Tajikistan, but also for the whole of Central and even South Asia. They promise enormous benefits and benefits to downstream countries. However, in fact, the public of these countries – Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan – is completely cut off from the opportunity to receive reliable information and participate in the discussion of a project that will directly affect their future and the environment.

This tactic is reminiscent of the sad experience of the past. Fifteen years ago, faced with criticism and concerns of public figures, the World Bank has already used a similar technique. Then he refused to take into account their arguments, referring to the fact that all potential problems would be solved during the subsequent revision of the project. And later, in 2013, when the activists again tried to convey their position, the bank simply refused them on the grounds that they represent other countries in the region, and not Tajikistan.

It seems that the bank is trying to pull off the same deceptive combination now – first to implement the project in the conditions of an information blockade, and then to put everyone in front of a fait accompli. We can only hope that this time the international community and common sense will not allow this trick to be repeated, and the fate of the whole region will not be decided behind tightly closed cabinet doors.

Alexander Kolotov (Director of Rivers Without Borders),
especially for Rivers.Help!

Original (in Russian): Рогунская ГЭС: Всемирный банк повторяет старые ошибки и игнорирует риски?