{"id":10122,"date":"2025-08-17T18:45:00","date_gmt":"2025-08-17T18:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ayolqadri.uz\/mailuu-suu-a-radioactive-legacy-at-the-gates-of-the-fergana-valley\/"},"modified":"2026-06-17T20:23:25","modified_gmt":"2026-06-17T20:23:25","slug":"mailuu-suu-a-radioactive-legacy-at-the-gates-of-the-fergana-valley","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ayolqadri.uz\/en\/mailuu-suu-a-radioactive-legacy-at-the-gates-of-the-fergana-valley\/","title":{"rendered":"Mailuu-Suu: A Radioactive Legacy at the Gates of the Fergana Valley"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Radiation
The former uranium tailings sites in Mailuu-Suu are located in an area prone to landslides and floods, close to a river system connected to the Fergana Valley.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

Why former uranium tailings sites in Kyrgyzstan remain an important transboundary issue for Uzbekistan.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

English translation:The town of Mailuu-Suu in southern Kyrgyzstan rarely attracts widespread public attention. Yet for the Fergana Valley, it is not a distant environmental story but a matter of water, soil, food security and public health. During the Soviet era, uranium was mined and processed in the Mailuu-Suu area. According to the World Bank, these operations were carried out between 1947 and 1968. (World Bank)<\/a><\/p>\n\n

After mining operations ceased, uranium tailings repositories and waste rock dumps were left in the vicinity of the town. According to the World Bank, the Mailuu-Suu area contains 23 tailings sites and 13 radioactive waste dumps left behind from uranium mining and processing activities. These facilities are located in a region prone to earthquakes, floods and landslides. (World Bank)<\/a><\/p>\n\n

The Mailuu-Suu River is part of a river system that ultimately reaches the Fergana Valley. The World Bank notes that the river flows toward the valley, while the EBRD has specifically highlighted the risk of contamination spreading through the river network into the Fergana Valley. Therefore, the main concern is not simply that the pollution is located within another country\u2019s territory, but that it may have a transboundary impact on water resources, soil quality, agriculture and the region\u2019s food chain. (EBRD)<\/a><\/p>\n\n

\"Women
Water in the Fergana Valley is closely tied to the everyday lives of women and children \u2013 to the home, food preparation, caregiving, household gardens and the health of the family.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

Why This Matters to Uzbekistan<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

Mailuu-Suu is located in southern Kyrgyzstan, and the potential consequences of an accidental release of radioactive materials are regarded by international organizations as a risk for the Fergana Valley. (EBRD)<\/a> According to the World Bank, the former uranium sites in Mailuu-Suu are situated in an area exposed to natural hazards, including earthquakes, floods and landslides. (World Bank)<\/a><\/p>\n\n

For Uzbekistan, the issue has at least three important dimensions.<\/p>\n\n

The first is water security. In the event of an accident, contaminated materials could enter the Mailuu-Suu River and be carried downstream. The World Bank notes that, under a worst-case scenario, contamination could affect the Fergana Valley, while the EBRD has emphasized the need to prevent toxic materials from entering the river system that flows toward the valley. (World Bank;<\/a> EBRD<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n

The second is food security. If radionuclides enter water and soil, they can be absorbed by plants and animals and eventually enter the food chain. The World Health Organization (WHO) notes that radionuclides may be present in food and drinking water both from natural sources and as a result of human activities. They can also enter the food chain through contaminated soil, atmospheric deposition and water pathways. (WHO, <\/a>WHO)<\/a><\/p>\n\n

The third is public health. The World Health Organization (WHO) notes that even low doses of ionizing radiation may increase the risk of long-term health effects, including cancer, while very high doses can cause acute health effects. (WHO) <\/a>However, any official conclusions regarding potential impacts on Uzbekistan require data from regular radiation monitoring, laboratory testing of water and food products, and epidemiological statistics from the regions of the Fergana Valley.<\/p>\n\n

What Is Known About the Risks<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

The main risk scenario is the failure or erosion of tailings repositories caused by natural hazards. The World Bank describes Mailuu-Suu as an area where radioactive tailings and waste dumps are located in a zone exposed to earthquakes, floods and landslides. (World Bank)<\/a><\/p>\n\n

Open sources frequently refer to major events in 1958, 1988, 1992 and 2002. However, before publication, these references should be cross-checked against primary documents, as different sources provide varying accounts of the volume of released material and the resulting impacts. For editorial purposes, a more cautious formulation would be: historical accidents and natural hazard events have been recorded in the Mailuu-Suu area, and the natural risks affecting the site are recognised by international organisations. (World Bank)<\/a><\/p>\n\n

According to the EBRD, Mailuu-Suu is one of the largest and most heavily contaminated uranium legacy sites in Central Asia. (EBRD) <\/a>In 2023, a \u20ac23 million grant was allocated through the Environmental Remediation Account for Central Asia (ERA) to support the remediation of the Mailuu-Suu site. (EBRD)<\/a><\/p>\n\n

According to the EBRD, remediation works at Mailuu-Suu began in 2023 and are expected to continue for approximately seven years. (EBRD) <\/a>The project aims to stabilise and safely contain more than 2 million cubic metres of radioactive tailings located along the Mailuu-Suu River, while around 350,000 cubic metres of tailings will be relocated to a safer location. (EBRD)<\/a> The overall objective is to prevent toxic materials from spreading through the river system that flows toward the Fergana Valley. (EBRD<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n

This distinction is important: international organisations do not view the issue as merely a local environmental problem. The EBRD has explicitly highlighted the protection of the Fergana Valley from transboundary contamination as one of the key objectives of the Mailuu-Suu remediation programme. (EBRD)<\/a><\/p>\n\n

Potential Impact on Health<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

For the population of Uzbekistan, the central question is this: is there a measurable risk for residents of the Fergana Valley today, and what measures are in place to control it? This is a question that requires official monitoring data, as international sources confirm the existence of a potential transboundary risk but do not provide a public epidemiological assessment specifically for the population of Uzbekistan. (EBRD)<\/a><\/p>\n\n

Potential Pathways of Exposure:<\/p>\n\n