Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — From 24 to 26 September, Tashkent and Tashkent region hosted the first meeting of the inter-agency working group on tailings storage safety and the prevention of emergency water pollution in Uzbekistan.

The three-day seminar-training was organized as part of the project "Strengthening Water Supply, Sanitation, and Protection of Water Resources from Emergency Pollution in the Context of Climate Change" under the UN Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) Convention on the Transboundary Effects of Industrial Accidents, in cooperation with the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection, and Climate Change, with financial support from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).

Participants included representatives from the UN ECE, the Ministry of Ecology, the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the Ministry of Water Resources, the Ministry of Health, the Committee for Industrial, Radiation, and Nuclear Safety, civil society institutions, and other organizations.

"Our tailings storage facilities, like many other objects, require special attention and joint efforts to ensure their safe operation. We must work to minimize risks and prevent potential ecological disasters," noted Iskandar Kutbiddinov, Deputy Minister of Ecology, at the opening of the meeting.

During the meeting, participants familiarized themselves with the technical assignment and composition of the working group, agreed on the work plan for 2024-2025, addressed current issues and necessary measures in the field of tailings storage safety and emergency pollution prevention, and coordinated further steps for developing a roadmap for joining the Convention.

"As we witness the impacts of climate change, the project will pay special attention to assessing and analyzing the effects of climate change on facilities like tailings storage and on water resources, as well as developing response measures," emphasized Saran Go Radinaragacha, Regional Environmental Advisor at the UN ECE.

On the second day of the event, a practical training session was organized for participants on applying assessment methodologies at tailings storage facility No. 2 of the Almalyk Mining and Metallurgical Complex.

"The training aims to educate on the methodology for assessing the safety level of tailings storage facilities based on European safety standards and rules. This methodology was developed within the framework of the UN Economic Commission for Europe project. After the training, we will form an assessment of the results of this industrial waste repository and see how well it meets European safety requirements," said Irina Nikolaeva, a consultant with the UN ECE.

It is noteworthy that Uzbekistan has 41 tailings storage facilities, 10 of which could potentially have transboundary impacts. The working group will enable Uzbekistan to strengthen national management in the mining sector, contribute to achieving the country’s environmental goals by 2030, and work towards joining the UN ECE Convention on Industrial Accidents.