Here we have primitive extraction techniques for refining that leaves a god awful mess. In Uzbekistan, Newmont mining is making money working just the tailings of the Soviet era mines. They left that much gold left behind. All the mining sites have left ecological nightmares in their tracks. The German populations have left these mountain regions and the towns are empty and depressing.
Resources are limited and they are at the bottom of the priority.
There are interesting exceptions. And there is work going on in the Pamirs by the Aga Khan Development Network. But there is continued neglect of the mountain regions. This entire border zone is losing population because of out-migration along over 3,000 miles of borders. Kazakhization is taking place.