ID: 1972
Presenting Author: Libby Paholski
Session: 550 - (Re)building trust and transparency to navigate complex energy transitions
Status: pending
The Kambarata-1 ESIA highlights how inclusive communication, transparent data, and early engagement can build trust, and support transboundary cooperation
The Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) for the Kambarata-1 Hydropower Project in the Kyrgyz Republic offers valuable insights into fostering trust and managing communication in complex transboundary settings. As a strategic regional infrastructure initiative on the Naryn River—part of the Syr Darya basin shared by multiple Central Asian nations—Kambarata-1 carries implications that extend beyond national borders, influencing ecosystems, livelihoods, and regional cooperation.
This paper examines how the ESIA process leveraged inclusive stakeholder engagement, transparency, and two-way communication to counter misinformation and build trust. Key mechanisms included participatory mapping of pasturelands vital to community livelihoods, cumulative impact assessments, and basin-level dialogues to address transboundary concerns through evidence-based approaches.
Lessons learned highlight the importance of acknowledging historical sensitivities around land use and legacy issues, engaging affected communities early, and ensuring equitable access to verified data for regional actors. The Kambarata-1 experience demonstrates that effective impact assessment is not merely a technical exercise—it is a trust-building process essential for advancing shared sustainability.
By integrating scientific integrity, social safeguards, and cross-border dialogue, the ESIA helped transform potential contestation into collaborative engagement, contributing to a more resilient and peaceful regional future.
Libby brings over 30 years of experience and has worked in more than 15 countries in development and private sectors, specializing in social planning and impact assessment.
Coauthor 1: Aibek Orozakunov