The Asian Development Bank (ADB) said on Tuesday that it explained the grievance-redress mechanism (GRM) last week in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, to 50 Tajik construction project workers, government officials and community representatives from around the nation, the ADB said.
This mechanism allows for the reporting and mitigation of unintended consequences from development projects that impact local communities. This allows a greater amount of transparency and gives affected parties the ability to voice concerns.
“From time to time, project implementation can raise questions and create concerns, be it compensation for the relocation of homes, or threats to long-standing cultural norms,” C.C. Yu, ADB’s country director for Tajikistan, said. “The grievance-redress mechanism specifically seeks to address such concerns and ensure compliance at the project level before they escalate and greater harm is done.”
Since the country joined the ABD, approximately $1.3 billion in financial assistance has been approved and used in Tajikistan in the form of grants and loans. The GRM also allows for more public involvement from communities where projects are built.