Category: <span>World Heritage Convention</span>

A major weakening of nature conservation laws in Russia

At the end of 2025, the Russian government and legislature undertook an unprecedented attempt to weaken key nature conservation laws. After two years of intense debate, the ‘Law on the Protection of Lake Baikal’ was amended by the Russian State Duma on 9 December 2025 and signed by the President …

World Bank’s Executive Directors block investigation of the Rogun HPP Project despite the advice of their own Inspection Panel

The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors has declined to open an investigation into potential environmental and social risks linked to the construction of the Rogun Hydropower Plant in Tajikistan. The decision was reported in a press release published by the environmental NGO Rivers Without Boundaries. As a result, the financial institution chose not to review a complaint filed by residents of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan …

The “Western Tien-Shan” has been temporarily saved from dams and mines

July 20, 2025 Thanks to the efforts of conservation community, it was possible, at least, to postpone the destruction of the unique UNESCO World Heritage Site “Western Tien-Shan”. During the intense discussion at the 47th session of the World Heritage Committee in Paris, a compromise decision was adopted, which, nevertheless, …

World Bank’s financing role in the Rogun Hydropower Plant facing scrutiny

Eurasianet. Apr 11, 2025 An aerial view of construction works at Rogun. (Photo: president.tj) The World Bank is under fire over allegations of impropriety in financing the Rogun Dam project in Tajikistan. Specifically, bank officials are facing accusations that they failed to comply with procedures to account for potential environmental …

State of Renewables: Hydropower is a Harmful Outsider

This week the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) released a new Report Renewable Capacity Statistics 2025. Its contents are very predictable, almost boring: a new wave of unprecedented growth in renewable capacity installation in 2024. The 585 GW addition of RE last year holds a 92.5% share of the total …

UNESCO-IUCN mission visits Western Tien Shan amidst growing threats to the World Heritage

A UNESCO and the International Union for Conservation of Nature reactive monitoring mission 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 Boundaries Public Foundation reports. Illegal gold …