Central Asia is at risk of a nuclear disaster comparable to Chernobyl

Central Asia is at risk of contamination from unstable uranium ore deposits in Kyrgyzstan. According to Reuters, there is a threat of a nuclear disaster comparable to the Chernobyl accident. The tailings lagoon near the town of Majluu-Suu, which holds approximately 700,000 cubic meters of radioactive tailings from uranium mines, became unstable after a 2017 landslide. In the event of another landslide or earthquake, its contents could enter the river system, which is used to irrigate agricultural areas in Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.

In the event of a rupture of the tailings pond, the region would become uninhabitable, and millions of inhabitants of these three countries would lose their homes. According to data from a study carried out by the European Commission and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the tailings ponds cannot be safely left in their current location and it is necessary to relocate them further from the river banks. The Fergana Valley, where the contaminated water would reach, is the most densely populated area in Central Asia. It has a population of 16 million, many of whom depend on the cultivation of cotton, rice, grain, fruit and vegetables.

“If the river breaks through the dams due to a landslide, the tailings from the two mine dumps will enter the water. An ecological disaster would be almost comparable to Chernobyl,” said Gulšair Abdullayevová, head of the radiological laboratory in the city of Majluu-Suu. Studies have shown that the waste in these landfills is liquid. In the event of an earthquake, it could enter the river, which is used to irrigate local fields.

The government in Bishkek and the company GEOS estimate that 22 to 25 million euros (556 to 632 million CZK) will be needed to move the waste from two unsecured landfills to one site further from the river. In the vicinity of the city of Majluu-Suu, there are some of the largest uranium ore dumps in the world. The mines there were in operation from the 1940s to the 1960s. The factory in the town also processed uranium ore from other mines in the area.