Vigilance association advocates for a new environmental assessment on Tajikistan's colossal development undertaking
Pissed-Off Pal: Spilling the Tea on the Roghun Dam Scandal
International finance groups are taking heat for being indifferent to Tajik government efforts to suppress public discussions over the environmental consequences of the huge Roghun Dam project. In a scalding letter to high-ranking World Bank (WB) officials, a watchdog coalition demands these organizations to man the hell up and show more openness in enforcing rules aimed at securing that everyone has a seat at the table during infrastructure project development. Tajik authorities, the letter swears, are pulling underhanded moves to restrict discussions across the region regarding Roghun's environmental and social impact, not just on Tajikistan but the entire Central Asia.
Anonymous international lenders, including the World Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank have already clocked in over $15 million in funding for Roghun-related surveys and planning activities. The WB, AIIB, and the European Investment Bank have promised at least $200 million each to eventually build the dam, which has an eye-watering $6-billion price tag. Plans for the dam have been bouncing around since the Soviet era; construction has stumbled due to funding uncertainty since the 1990s. If completed as planned, Roghun would be the tallest dam worldwide.
The watchdog coalition, which includes the regional non-governmental organization Rivers without Boundaries and the CEE Bankwatch Network, screams that existing environmental and social impact assessments, bankrolled by the World Bank over a decade ago, are ancient history. New assessments are long overdue to account for swift changes in Central Asia driven by climate change, particularly the rapid depletion of water resources and "accelerating degradation of ecosystems" in the Amu Darya River basin.
"The deal is, since 2014, we've picked up a helluva lot more about the dynamics of climate change and renewable energy alternatives," states the coalition letter, dated January 18. "The potentially massive scale of trans-boundary impacts resulting from the development of the Roghun Hydropower Project requires the same sheer scale of public debates that occurred in 2014."
Input from concerned parties concerning Roghun's potential impact should not be confined to Tajikistan, but instead should involve collaboration with experts from other Central Asian countries, according to the letter.
Why Don't These Bastards Listen?The World Bank's position on stakeholder participation in the Rogun Dam project can be found in its Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP), which pushes for an open and inclusive process that consists of various stakeholders, including local communities, civil society, and government agencies. This plan incorporates methods for feedback and grievance resolution, aiming to address concerns and ensure the project aligns with environmental and social sustainability standards.
However, the project faces issues regarding public discussions and the necessity of updated environmental and social impact assessments. Despite international organizations typically demanding comprehensive assessments to guarantee compliance with environmental and social rules, allegations have surfaced that the Tajik government has attempted to suppress public discussions and that outdated assessments are being used.
While the World Bank has yet to publicly address these allegations, the organization generally prioritizes robust stakeholder engagement and rigorous environmental and social assessments in infrastructure projects to protect the environment and promote social responsibility. The World Bank's policies and standards aim to create transparency, accountability, and inclusiveness during the planning and implementation of projects, contributing to sustainable development and public trust.
In conclusion, while the World Bank's SEP symbolizes a commitment to stakeholder engagement, debates over the project's limited public discussions and the need for updated assessments serve as reminders of the challenges faced in ensuring compliance with international standards for environmental and social responsibility in large-scale projects. Let's keep the pressure on these bozos to do the right damn thing!
- The environmental consequences of the Roghun Dam project have sparked criticism towards international finance groups, such as the World Bank, which have invested over $15 million in Roghun-related surveys and planning activities.
- The World Bank's Stakeholder Engagement Plan emphasizes an open and inclusive process involving local communities, civil society, and government agencies, incorporating methods for feedback and grievance resolution.
- A watchdog coalition, including Rivers without Boundaries and the CEE Bankwatch Network, asserts that existing environmental and social impact assessments, financed by the World Bank over a decade ago, are outdated and do not account for recent changes in Central Asia due to climate change.
- The coalition demands the World Bank and other lenders to address these concerns and ensure updated assessments are conducted, involving collaboration with experts from other Central Asian countries in order to reflect the potential massive scale of trans-boundary impacts resulting from the Roghun Hydropower Project.
