The Ministry of Energy of the Kyrgyz Republic held the second round of national consultations on the draft Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) for the Kambarata-1 Hydroelectric Power Plant (HPP). The event took place in the conference hall of Park Hotel, located at 87 Orozbekov Street, Bishkek. It brought together over 110 participants in person, with an additional 35 joining online.
The consultations were attended by senior officials from the Ministry of Energy, staff of the department overseeing the Kambarata-1 project, specialists from government agencies, representatives of local authorities, national and international civil society organizations, research institutions, and the National Academy of Sciences. Among the participants were also experts in dam safety, social development, pasture management, cultural heritage protection, environmental conservation, biodiversity, and gender issues.
The objective of the national consultations was to inform the public about the findings and recommendations of the draft ESIA; to discuss potential environmental and social impacts and corresponding mitigation measures; to gather feedback, comments, and questions from stakeholders; and to ensure transparency and open dialogue at all stages of project preparation, in line with international environmental and social practices.
To enable public review and comments ahead of the consultations, the following draft documents were made available on the official project website (https://kambarata1.org) starting from August 2025:
During the consultations, the project team and technical experts presented key project components, potential environmental and social impacts, and proposed mitigation measures. Participants actively discussed a broad range of issues, including seismic safety, biodiversity protection, water resource management, community health and safety, livelihood restoration, cultural heritage protection, and employment opportunities for local communities. The importance of continued engagement with communities and effective functioning of the grievance redress mechanisms was also emphasized.
As with all consultation stages under the Kambarata-1 HPP project, all comments and suggestions received during the discussions were recorded and will be carefully reviewed for consideration in the next updates of the ESIA and CIA.
Earlier, from October 6 to 10, 2025, the Ministry of Energy conducted a series of consultations with residents of four Ayil Aymaks — Atai (Toguz-Toro district), Sary-Kamysh, Imanaliev, and Toluk (Toktogul district) — located within the project area. These meetings engaged around 300 participants and addressed topics such as pasture management, livestock routes, infrastructure needs, and livelihood restoration.
Consultations at the riparian level — involving Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan — will take place in early November 2025, with the participation of national, regional, and international stakeholders.
The Ministry of Energy reaffirms its commitment to an open, inclusive, and transparent implementation process for the Kambarata-1 HPP project and will continue to engage with all stakeholders in accordance with the Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP).
The consultations were attended by senior officials from the Ministry of Energy, staff of the department overseeing the Kambarata-1 project, specialists from government agencies, representatives of local authorities, national and international civil society organizations, research institutions, and the National Academy of Sciences. Among the participants were also experts in dam safety, social development, pasture management, cultural heritage protection, environmental conservation, biodiversity, and gender issues.
The objective of the national consultations was to inform the public about the findings and recommendations of the draft ESIA; to discuss potential environmental and social impacts and corresponding mitigation measures; to gather feedback, comments, and questions from stakeholders; and to ensure transparency and open dialogue at all stages of project preparation, in line with international environmental and social practices.
To enable public review and comments ahead of the consultations, the following draft documents were made available on the official project website (https://kambarata1.org) starting from August 2025:
- Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA)
- Environmental and Social Management Plans (ESMPs), as part of the ESIA
- Livelihood Restoration and Resettlement Framework (LRRF)
- Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP) and Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM)
- Labor Management Procedures (LMP)
- Cumulative Impact Assessment (CIA), as part of the ESIA
During the consultations, the project team and technical experts presented key project components, potential environmental and social impacts, and proposed mitigation measures. Participants actively discussed a broad range of issues, including seismic safety, biodiversity protection, water resource management, community health and safety, livelihood restoration, cultural heritage protection, and employment opportunities for local communities. The importance of continued engagement with communities and effective functioning of the grievance redress mechanisms was also emphasized.
As with all consultation stages under the Kambarata-1 HPP project, all comments and suggestions received during the discussions were recorded and will be carefully reviewed for consideration in the next updates of the ESIA and CIA.
Earlier, from October 6 to 10, 2025, the Ministry of Energy conducted a series of consultations with residents of four Ayil Aymaks — Atai (Toguz-Toro district), Sary-Kamysh, Imanaliev, and Toluk (Toktogul district) — located within the project area. These meetings engaged around 300 participants and addressed topics such as pasture management, livestock routes, infrastructure needs, and livelihood restoration.
Consultations at the riparian level — involving Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan — will take place in early November 2025, with the participation of national, regional, and international stakeholders.
The Ministry of Energy reaffirms its commitment to an open, inclusive, and transparent implementation process for the Kambarata-1 HPP project and will continue to engage with all stakeholders in accordance with the Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP).