In January Struan Stevenson, a member of the European Parliament (MEP) and a special representative to the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) responsible for the ecology and environment of Central Asia, published a report assessing environmental disasters in the region, including the ongoing desiccation of the Aral Sea and the legacy of Soviet-era nuclear testing in the form of dumps of uranium tailings. The report also looked at the issue of Roghun and came up with resounding support for the project. Mr Stevenson praised the Tajik president, Imomali Rahmon, for "his efforts to maintain Tajikistan as a strategic buffer state, preventing the incursion of drug smugglers and terrorists from Afghanistan and Pakistan"-although it is far from clear that Tajikistan has been successful in this (December 2010, The political scene). Mr Stevenson was also convinced that if Tajikistan went ahead with the construction of Roghun, it would take its responsibilities towards its downstream neighbours seriously, and called Uzbek concerns about its own water supplies premature. Mr Stevenson also suggested that downstream countries introduce drip irrigation systems and avoid the flooding systems that are currently in wide use. The World Bank is carrying out a feasibility study into Roghun and is expected to report later in 2011.