Rogun Dam, on the Vakhs river

Construction started on the Rogun Dam in 1982, as part of the Soviet plans for integrated economic development in Central Asia. The construction process halted in 1991, during the break-up of the Soviet Union and the ensuing civil war in Tajikistan. Upon the formal request of Tajikistan, the World Bank agreed to carry out a Techno-Economic Assessment Study and an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment study in October 2007, with a view to pointing out the potential benefits and risks of the Rogun project. The studies covered technical, economic, social, and environmental factors, within the context of a least-cost electricity generation expansion plan to meet Tajikistan’s energy demand. Social, economic and political impacts of the Rogun project and its ramifications on regional security and stability have become more important than its technical feasibility.