Rogun HPP: what could be the best alternative to the world's highest dam?
Today, the international environmental coalition "Rivers Without Boundaries" presented a report analyzing alternative scenarios for the completion of the Rogun HPP in Tajikistan. The report, available in both English and Russian, was sent to the World Bank's Board of Directors.
The authors of the study believe that in order to make an informed decision regarding the final implementation of the project, a detailed comparison of alternative energy development options for Tajikistan should be conducted, taking into account the impact on nature and society. According to them, only such an approach will help choose the most effective option for completing the construction, which will minimize risks and enhance the economic return from the $6.4 billion investment required for the construction of the 335-meter-high dam.
According to the environmentalists in their report, even if a decision is made to complete the Rogun Hydroelectric Power Plant with the maximum option, including the construction of the world's highest dam (this is the option currently being considered by the World Bank's board of directors), the acute problems for which the giant hydroelectric station is being built will remain unresolved. Specifically, scheduled power outages in Tajikistan will continue as before—at least until 2036. The creation of a reservoir of maximum size will significantly increase the risks of negative impacts downstream of the Rogun HPP: on the UNESCO World Heritage site "Tugai Forests of the Tigrovaya Balka Reserve", on the last populations of endangered sturgeon species in the Vakhsh River, as well as on the fertile plains along rivers in Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Afghanistan, where at least 7 million people live whose well-being depends entirely on irrigated agriculture.
The report emphasizes that such a scenario can still be prevented. With the same level of funding, but with a lower dam and the development of solar power plants, it is possible to significantly reduce the negative consequences. Reducing the dam's height by 70 meters will avoid the resettlement of tens of thousands of people and reduce risks to ecosystems.
In addition, the coalition argues that combining a smaller Rogun HPP with the development of solar energy will make it possible to fully cover the winter electricity deficit in Tajikistan by 2030-2031, as well as increase the resilience of the energy system to climate change.
