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

Category: World Heritage Convention

Central Asia, Paris worth a dam?, World Heritage Convention

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 …

Central Asia, Featured, World Heritage Convention

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, …

Central Asia, Featured, Paris worth a dam?, World Heritage Convention

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 …

Essential Publications, Featured, Paris worth a dam?, World Heritage Convention

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 …

Central Asia, World Heritage Convention

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 …

Central Asia, Essential Publications, Featured, World Heritage Convention

Russian-language version of the UNESCO Guidance for Impact Assessments in a World Heritage Context Published in Kazakhstan

On June 11, 2024, Rivers without Boundaries and the UNESCO regional office for Central Asia in Almaty (Kazakhstan) received printed copies of the first edition of the Russian translation of the special Guidance for impact assessments in a World Heritage context. The publication was supported by the Critical Ecosystems Conservation …