Uzbekistan's Dams Blocked Two Rivers in the Western Tien Shan

The Chatkal and Ugam rivers in Uzbekistan are blocked by construction projects involving hydroelectric power plants, as dams block both rivers.

During a recent inspection that finished on 25th September, a UNESCO and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) mission discovered that the building of three 5MW hydropower plants and artificial canals is causing severe harm to the ecosystems of the rivers within the Western Tien Shan World Natural Heritage Site.

Experts have documented that bulldozers are destroying the Ugam River bed, and excavators are blocking it and enclosing it in a concrete channel. These actions threaten the populations of rare and endemic fish species that used to inhabit the Ugam. Such projects must undergo a prior environmental impact assessment and receive approval from UNESCO. However, according to the experts, these procedures have not been properly carried out.

The mission also brought attention to issues in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. There are plans to construct large hydroelectric power stations and new infrastructure projects in natural heritage areas. These projects can potentially disrupt water and ecological systems, which has raised serious concerns from international organisations.

The inspection report will be presented at the next session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Sofia in 2024.