A UNESCO mission and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has completed a visit to Central Asia to assess the state of the transboundary World Heritage Site Western Tien Shan. During the visit, experts studied the threats associated with plans for economic development of the territory. Rivers without Borders Public Foundation reports.
Illegal gold mining has been discovered in Kyrgyzstan, and a hydropower station is planned to be built on Chatkal River, which could lead to the flooding of protected lands.
In Kazakhstan, a cascade of hydropower stations is planned to be built on Ugam River, and part of the river flow will be directed to Turkestan region through a 210-kilometer pipeline.
In Uzbekistan, Chatkal and Ugam rivers are already blocked by dams, which threatens rare fish species.
The results of the mission’s visit will be presented at a session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in 2025 in Sofia.
Earlier, environmentalists from the international coalition Rivers Without Borders expressed their concern that the Kyrgyz authorities had given over a unique UNESCO protected area in the Kyrgyz Republic for the extraction of placer gold and the construction of a hydropower station.
