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