DUSHANBE, September 1, 2009, Asia-Plus - Issues related to construction of large dams in Tajikistan were a major topic of a meeting of Foreign Minister Hamrokhon Zarifi with visiting President of the International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD) Jia Jinsheng that was held in Dushanbe on September 1.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting with Tajik FM, Mr. Jia Jinsheng noted that it was necessary to construct large dams in Tajikistan although construction of them impacted ecology to a certain extent.  According to him, part of profit large hydroelectric power stations will make should be used for environmental protection.

Noting that ICOLD is aware of disagreements between some countries of Central Asian region over construction of large dams in the region, Mr. Jia Jinsheng stressed that there were instances in the world practice when such disputable issues had been solved and stated that the ICOLD was ready to become negotiator in solution of those disagreements in Central Asia.

According to the Tajik MFA, the ICOLD President arrived in Tajikistan today morning.  He will attend an international technical conference on Lake Sarez that will be held in Norak on September 2-3.

Mr. Jia Jinsheng, Vice President of China Water Resources and Hydropower Research (IWHR) was overwhelmingly voted the President of International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD) on the 77th Annual Meeting of ICOLD held in Brasilia, Brazil on May 23, 2009.  He is the first Chinese President in the history of ICOLD and his tenure of office is from the Year of 2009 to 2012.

The ICOLD is a non-governmental International Organization which provides a forum for the exchange of knowledge and experience in dam engineering.  The Organization leads the profession in ensuring that dams are built safely, efficiently, economically, and without detrimental effects on the environment. Its original aim was to encourage advances in the planning, design, construction, operation, and maintenance of large dams and their associated civil works, by collecting and disseminating relevant information and by studying related technical questions.  Since the late sixties, focus was put on subjects of current concern such as dam safety, monitoring of performance, reanalysis of older dams and spillways, effects of ageing and environmental impact.  More recently, new subjects include cost studies at the planning and construction stages, harnessing international rivers, information for the public at large, and financing.