AMBASSADOR MEETS WITH WATER

UNCLAS BAGHDAD 004897 SIPDIS SENSITIVE STATE FOR NEA/I E.O. 12958: DECL: N/A TAGS: EAID PGOV PNAT PREL IZ SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR MEETS WITH WATER RESOURCES MINISTER, DISCUSSES TRANSBOUNDARY WATER ISSUES AND RECONSTRUCTION ¶1. (U) SUMMARY: Ambassador and IRMO Director Speckhard met with Minister of Water Resources Dr. Latif Rashid on November 28 to discuss government transition, capacity development, and substantive issues related to Ministry of Water Resources (MoWR). These included transboundary water issues with Turkey and Iran, completion of Bekhma Dam, and access to critical flood control structures. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (SBU) Turkey is the largest source of water for Iraq, but there is no agreement on allocation of shared waters. Flows into Iraq from Turkey had been 30 billion cubic meters per year (bcmy) but have been reduced to 11 bcmy due to upstream developments. According to Rashid, the desired flow for Iraq from Turkey would be 15 to 20 bcmy. The Minister said he has visited Turkey twice to discuss conducting technical discussions; MoWR is ready to proceed, but no meetings have occurred. Rashid said he also has visited Iran to discuss shared water, since upstream developments also may reduce flows into Iraq from Iran in the future. The Minister requested high-resolution satellite imagery from the USG of upstream catchments in Iran, especially of the Diyala/Serwan River basin. ¶3. (U) Bekhma Dam, located 100km north of Irbil, is an approximately 30 percent complete hydroelectric facility with a proposed capacity of 1500 megawatts. MoWR views the dam as a source of cheap power and is keen to complete the project, for which cost estimates have ranged from $1.5 to 2 billion. MoWR is conducting additional feasibility studies. The Ambassador and the Minister discussed the possibility of developing a consortium, which might include the Asian Development Bank and the Government of Japan to finance the remaining construction. Currently, all MoWR hydroelectric facilities together produce approximately 1300 megawatts, or 25 percent of the national energy portfolio. ¶4. (U) Rashid requested IRMO assistance in resolving accessibility problems for MoWR personnel at Haditha Dam and other flood control structures currently protected by MNF-I forces. IRMO is working with MNF-I to resolve these problems. The Ambassador then raised the idea of combining security forces from different Iraqi ministries into a single entity. The Minister agreed that centralization of security across the GOI might be good and noted that MoWR has 4,000 to 5,000 guards around the country. ¶5. (U) The Minister has designated a point of contact for the new Capacity Development Program and indicated that assistance is needed particularly in design and operations and maintenance. With few exceptions, MoWR is on track with its FY05 budget implementation and has 400 to 500 projects in process. However, significant projects remain unfunded. Ambassador recommended seeking international donors, such as the Gulf countries, for unfunded projects and offered to assist with donor coordination. ¶6. (SBU) The Minister agreed to cooperate on transition planning at the Ministry and underlined the need for competent ministers across the Iraqi government. The Minister also noted the need to clarify the responsibilities and authorities of the central Ministry and the governorates. KHALILZAD