The melting of glaciers "has been going on for thousands of years. It is a natural process. And there is no escaping it."
"The problem of the two glaciers around the Kumtor mine in the Issyk-Kul region is not worth a dime. It is just an excuse to raise a fuss. Someone decided that the glaciers are being destroyed. But that is not the case," commented Valentin Bogdetsky, a candidate of geological and mineralogical sciences and a member of the board of the Kyrgyz Mining Association, on the disputes surrounding amendments to the Water Code of Kyrgyzstan that allow mining operations near the two glaciers.
The expert reminds us that to understand what is happening with the glaciers, one must know the process of their formation.
"In the mountains, above the snow line, where annual precipitation exceeds evaporation, snow accumulates and a glacier forms. When it grows and exceeds certain dimensions, it gradually begins to flow downwards. This happens everywhere and always, not just at Kumtor or Jeruy — another mine in the Talas region," says Bogdetsky.
He explains that "the thickness of a glacier can reach two kilometers.
"Even if you consider an area of 200 meters, the pressure will be 20 atmospheres. Under such pressure, the glacier will inevitably start to creep downwards. The speed of movement varies — from one to 20 meters per day," says the geologist.
The expert clarifies that "the glacier carries with it a mass of rock because, under such pressure, it scrapes the bottom, and part of the rock slides along with it. Then, at the snow line, the glacier melts."
"This is the area of unloading. The glacier continues to move and melt. In the process of movement, it sheds the debris it carries with it. From this, a dam forms. If the glacier has started to melt and retreat, as is the case with the Petrov Glacier, it means there is a lake there."
Bogdetsky describes the situation with Kumtor and the concerns surrounding the glaciers as follows: "People are afraid that operations at the mine will destroy the two glaciers, 'Lysyi' and 'Davydova.' The first hangs directly over the pit. When gold extraction operations cease, the pit will be filled with water from below, and ice will accumulate from above, restoring equilibrium with the glacier."
The situation with the second glacier, in the geologist's opinion, "is very similar, although a bit more complicated."
"Previously, the waste rock left after operations was unloaded onto the glacier. The rock would move along with the glacier. Allowing such a method of operation was a mistake. But the scheme was approved, and this complaint should be directed not at the investors, but at the experts who worked on this issue. Nevertheless, when Kumtor ceases operations, the Davydova Glacier will transfer all the already shed mass to the unloading area and come into equilibrium. The glacier will recover. Nothing else will happen," emphasizes the expert.
Bogdetsky believes that "the problem of the two glaciers around the Kumtor mine in the Issyk-Kul region is not worth a dime."
"It is just an excuse to raise a fuss. Someone decided that the glaciers are being destroyed. But that is not the case. Nothing is melting because of Kumtor. I looked at aerial photographs of the deposit dated 1942 and photos from 1963. During this time, the glaciers have already retreated by 200 meters along the entire ridge. At an altitude of up to 3,500 meters, glaciers once existed. In the Talas region, right in the area of the Jeruy deposit, there are three glacial cirques, but there are no glaciers left. Only moraines and small lakes remain. This means that the melting has been going on for thousands of years. It is a natural process. And there is no escaping it. And gold extraction has nothing to do with it."
If anyone, in Bogdetsky's opinion, believes that "developers are harming the ecology of Kyrgyzstan — let them prove it."
"I'll suggest how to do this. Take samples of water, soil, and air at Kumtor. Take similar samples in the center of Bishkek.
The results will surprise you. Samples from the capital will show that the environment surrounding us is hundreds of times dirtier.
For example, all of Bishkek and all of Kyrgyzstan are covered with asbestos-based slate. Asbestos is recognized by the WHO as a carcinogenic substance, and its use in construction is prohibited. But no one is making a fuss or protesting about this. Asbestos slate continues to be produced at the cement plant in Kyrgyzstan, and no one cares," emphasized the expert.