International experts highlight environment and security challenges in Central Asia's Ferghana Valley

OSH, KYRGYZSTAN, 6 December 2004 - Central Asia's most populated area, the Ferghana valley, faces serious environmental challenges that may aggravate existing tensions between communities, says an international expert team after conducting an in-depth assessment of the situation.

The team, including experts from the region and from the UN Development Program (UNDP), UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the OSCE, NATO, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the World Bank and the Italian Ministry of the Environment, concluded an assessment trip and a series of workshops today.

Inadequately managed water and forestry resources, cross-border pollution from large industrial enterprises and abandoned sites with toxic and radioactive waste have potential to contribute to mistrust and destabilize relations between Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, which share the Ferghana valley, the group concluded.

Joint efforts to resolve environmental challenges will help improve overall co-operation in this poverty-stricken and conflict-prone region.

Three expert teams followed parallel tracks between Tashkent and Osh to assess selected sites where environmental problems may cause danger for regional security. These include:

• industrial pollution and toxic waste (Kanibadam toxic waste storage facility, Bekabad aluminium plant, Kadamjai stibium plant);
• radioactive pollution (uranium tailing deposits in Chkalovsk, Yangebat, Shekaftar and Mailuu-Suu)
• water, land and bio-diversity concerns (excess water-flow on the Spitamen-Say Aksu border, water-logging and pollution in the Kairakkum lake area, threats to walnut forests and pastures in the Jalal-Abad region, as well as local water management practices in the Ferghana valley in general).

Special attention was paid to areas prone to natural disasters.

At the final workshop in Osh, which ended today, participants agreed to implement a work program including activities to:

• further evaluate cross-border radioactive risks and concrete alleviation measures;
• assess and reduce environmental and health threats from industrial and toxic waste storage facilities;
• improve the management of water resources and preparedness for natural disasters; and
• establish a regional mechanism for early warning on environmental security risks.

This in-depth assessment of environmental and security issues and 'hot spots' in the Ferghana Valley is part of the comprehensive Environment and Security Initiative, known as ENVSEC (www.envsec.org), a joint undertaking of the United Nations Development Programme, the UNEP, the OSCE and NATO.

Findings from the field work and the Osh meeting will be compiled into an assessment document that will draw attention to the area's environmental problems, which until now have not received adequate attention.