Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06AMMAN2108
2006-03-22 13:58:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Amman
Cable title:  

JORDAN LOOKS TO NEIGHBORS FOR HELP WITH WATER

Tags:  SENV EAGR PREL PGOV SY IS JO 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHAM #2108/01 0811358
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 221358Z MAR 06
FM AMEMBASSY AMMAN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9090
INFO RUEHDOI/DEPT OF INTERIOR WASHDC
RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC
RUEHDM/AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS 3246
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH 1541
RUEHJI/AMCONSUL JEDDAH 0690
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 4100
RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM 3801
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT 2359
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 2273
UNCLAS AMMAN 002108 

SIPDIS

INTERIOR FOR INTERNATIONAL/SENHADJI

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV EAGR PREL PGOV SY IS JO
SUBJECT: JORDAN LOOKS TO NEIGHBORS FOR HELP WITH WATER
SHORTAGE

REF: 05 AMMAN 9826

UNCLAS AMMAN 002108

SIPDIS

INTERIOR FOR INTERNATIONAL/SENHADJI

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV EAGR PREL PGOV SY IS JO
SUBJECT: JORDAN LOOKS TO NEIGHBORS FOR HELP WITH WATER
SHORTAGE

REF: 05 AMMAN 9826


1. (SBU) Summary: With rainfall at 65% of the long-term
average for this time of year, and reservoirs at 54% of
capacity, Jordan is seeking help from Israel and Syria to
cover an emerging water supply gap. Israel has been
helpful, Syria reluctant. Reftel Red-Dead feasibility study
should start within two months, and the Disi project - which
may yield Jordan 100 million cubic meters of water per year
- should start construction by the beginning of 2007,
according to GOJ officials. Desalination of brackish
groundwater is unlikely to be a major new water source.
(USAID Zara Main project is anticipated to provide something
like 40 MCM/year.) The GOJ also is trying to protect
existing surface and groundwater resources. The anticipated
water shortage this year has already led to an announcement
that Jordan Valley farmers will not receive a summer water
supply. The shortages - politically sensitive in this water
deprived country - bring a further challenge to a year
complicated by reduced foreign assistance, elimination of
oil subsidies, planned advancement of political reforms, and
a difficult regional environment. End summary.

--------------
The Players
--------------


2. (U) BACKGROUND NOTE: In Jordan's most recent cabinet
change in November 2005, then-Jordan Valley Authority (JVA)
Secretary General Zafer Alem was appointed Minister of Water

SIPDIS
and Irrigation. Sa'ad Al-Bakri stayed on as the Secretary
General in the Ministry of Water and Irrigation (MWI).
Munther Khleifat remained as Secretary General of the Water
Authority of Jordan (WAJ). JVA Deputy Secretary General Musa
Jamani was appointed as the JVA's Acting Secretary General
and confirmed on March 8 as Secretary General.


3. (U) Mohammed El-Momani has replaced Fayez Bataineh as
MWI Assistant Secretary General for Technical Affairs, and
will represent Jordan in regional fora such as the EXACT
water resources working group. Momani brings a strong
technical background; previously he has worked as the Acting
Assistant SecGen for Water Resources in the Water Authority

of Jordan (WAJ),and as Director of Water Resource Studies.
END BACKGROUND NOTE.

--------------
The Problem - Low Rains, Low Reservoirs
The Solution? Turn to Israel and Syria
--------------


4. (U) Minister of Water and Irrigation Zafer Alem told DCM
on March 5 that with rainfall at 65% of normal and
reservoirs at only 54% of capacity, he has discussed ways to
relieve Jordan's water crunch with both Syria and Israel.
MWI SecGen Sa'ad Al-Bakri and Jordan Valley Authority SecGen
Musa Jamani confirmed these contacts to ESTH Officer and FSN
on March 9. Bakri said that Jordan's municipalities consume
about 260 million cubic meters (MCM) of water per year
(roughly 37 gallons per person per day for all uses),a
figure that is limited by available supply. (Meteorology
Department reports rain since January 1 is 65% of the
average annual level).


5. (SBU) Minister Alem said that he had seen Israeli Water
Commissioner Shimon Tal recently, and had told Tal that
Jordan could not "pay" the full 20 MCM that it "owes" Israel
annually under Annex Two of the Israel Jordan-Peace treaty
this year. (Note: In the treaty, Jordan and Israel agreed
to swap 20 MCM per year, with Israel providing this amount
to Jordan in the summer and Jordan "repaying" it in the
winter. End note.) According to Alem, Tal accepted the
news with good grace, and implied that Jordan could make up
the amount at some later point. Alem, SecGen Bakri and JVA
SecGen Jamani all noted the cordial and cooperative working
relationship on water that Jordan has with Israel.

--------------
Syria Not Sticking to Its Deals
--------------


6. (SBU) GOJ water officials contrast their good
relationship with Israel to the more troubled relationship
with Syria on water issues. In the GOJ's view, Jordan and
Syria have agreed that the latter will be limited to 15 dams
on the Yarmouk watershed. Syria now has 27 dams, according
to Minister Alem. In addition to having "unapproved" dams,
Syria is drawing water directly from the Yarmouk for
irrigation, say Jordanian water officials. ESTH Officer saw
pumps and pipelines on the Syrian side of the Yarmouk during
a June 2005 visit to the area with then-OES A/S Turner.
According to the Jordanians, excess and unapproved offtake
of Yarmouk water by the Syrians is resulting in less water
coming into Jordan. Jamani said that the Yarmouk's average
summertime (dry season) flow was 6 cubic meters per second,
but the Yarmouk's flow this winter in the wet season is less
that 3 cubic meters per second.


7. (SBU) Minister Alem told DCM that he has had several
discussions with Syrian Irrigation Minister Nadir Al-Buni
about reducing Syrian offtake from the Yarmouk, and had
gotten some support but no solid commitments. SecGen Bakri
characterized the Yarmouk as a "disaster" (for Jordan),and
told ESTH Officer that the Syrians had made a general
commitment to letting more water stay in the Yarmouk but had
not provided details on quantity. Bakri added that Jordan's
ambassador in Damascus had called that very morning (March
9) to say that the Syrians had committed to increasing the
flow of the Yarmouk, but still had not specified a quantity.

-------------- --------------
Unity Dam on Yarmouk Late Because of Geological Faults
-------------- --------------


8. (U) Jordan Valley Authority (JVA) SecGen Jamani told
ESTHOff that the Wihdeh (Unity) Dam on the Yarmouk is behind
schedule because of geological problems discovered on the
right embankment. The dam was supposed to start collecting
water this winter, but the JVA found cracks in the rock that
need to be excavated and grouted. He expects the dam to be
ready in September 2006 and to start collecting water by the
end of 2006.

--------------
Red-Dead Study to Start in April or May
--------------


9. (SBU) Jamani emphasized to ESTH Officer the importance
of the Red Sea-to-Dead Sea water conveyance in Jordan's long-
term water planning. He expects the feasibility study to
start within one or two months. The Ministry is looking for
companies and consultants who can undertake the study, and
is preparing a small office to supervise the work. Jamani
said the World Bank has $10 million in hand from donors out
of the total expected cost for the feasibility study of $15
million, and that the parties (Jordan, Israel, and the
Palestinian Authority) and the World Bank have agreed that
this is enough to start the feasibility study. MWI SecGen
Bakri commented that in his opinion, the World Bank was
delaying the feasibility study because of uncertainties
related to the emergence of Hamas in the Palestinian
Authority.

--------------
Disi Project to Be Tendered Soon on BOT Basis
--------------


10. (SBU) Aside from the Red-Dead, Jordan's other big water
infrastructure project is the Disi project to pump
groundwater from the Disi aquifer near the Saudi border and
pipe it up to Amman. Bakri said that the "Expression of
Commercial Interest" for the on-again/off-again project will
be announced within a few days, and that the project will be
done on a build-operate-transfer (BOT) basis. The Disi
project was tendered previously, but bids were hundreds of
millions of dollars higher than expected, and the tender was
cancelled. Bakri expects the tender process to be completed
within 4-6 months, and for construction to begin by early

2007. The companies involved will put together the
financing and technical expertise, and the Ministry will
simply buy the water. MWI expects the Disi project to
provide 100 MCM per year, and MWI hopes to pay the winning
company or consortium roughly 85 cents per cubic meter. The
previous tenders would have cost $1.23 per cubic meter.
Another large-scale water project, USAID's Zara Ma'in
project, will provide 40 MCM per year beginning in July

2006.

-------------- --------------
Brackish Groundwater Desalination No Panacea to MWI
-------------- --------------


11. (U) In addition to the Red-Dead and Disi projects,
desalination of brackish groundwater is another possible
water source. The GOJ has built several brackish water
desalination plants. ECON and ESTH staff visited one such
reverse osmosis plant in the Jordan Valley near Deir Allah
and were escorted by the president of the firm that built
the plant. Aqua Treat President Tarek Abu Dehays said the
plant produces about 20-40 thousand cubic meters a day,
depending on the supply of brackish water, at a cost of
about 17 cents per cubic meter. At a separate MWI meeting
that took place days after the site visit, MWI SecGen Bakri
told ESTH staff that the plant's cost (about $5 million) was
quite low given its capacity. Despite this low cost, Bakri
said he does not expect groundwater desalination plants to
become widespread, although there may be saline groundwater
near Zara Ma'in that could be desalinated and injected into
the pipe. The Zara Ma'in pipe was purposely designed with
excess capacity to handle this type of additional flow with
little additional capital cost. Bakri believes there might
be an additional 20 MCM of drinkable water from desalination
in the Jordan Valley, but he noted the environmental impact
and the problems of managing the brine.


12. (U) Bakri floated an idea of having Jordan pay
operations and maintenance costs (he did not discuss capital
costs - presumably those would be paid by a donor country)
for an Israeli-owned desalination plant on the Mediterranean
to produce 50 MCM per year for use in Israel. In return,
Jordan would receive 50 MCM of water per year from Lake
Kinneret. Bakri thinks this is a good deal for Israel
because the desalinated water would be high quality and
available on the coastal plain where it is needed. COMMENT:
Post defers to Embassy Tel Aviv on whether this would be
politically, technically and financially feasible from the
Israeli perspective. At first blush, this idea seems
unlikely to reach fruition. END COMMENT.

-------------- --------------
Technical Chief Emphasizes Coordination, Pollution
Prevention
-------------- --------------


13. (U) The GOJ is not completely focused on simply
developing new water sources, however. There have been and
continue to be efforts within the GOJ to protect and manage
existing resources. During an introductory call on February
13, Assistant SecGen for Technical Affairs Mohammed El-
Momani emphasized multi-sectoral coordination on water
between the government, business, NGOs and donors, and
upgrading wastewater treatment and pollution prevention to
protect Jordan's existing freshwater resources. He said he
would focus monitoring activities on wells near industrial
and agricultural activity. Agriculture is the logical place
to seek reduction. The Ministries of Water and Agriculture
need to improve coordination on an integrated strategy to
protect both soil and water resources. Momani also cited
the need to better control illegal well drilling and
groundwater pumping. Noting that Jordan enacted a
groundwater law in 2002, he said the issue is now
enforcement. Jordan also needs a strategy to minimize
"mining" (unsustainable pumping) of groundwater. A recent
law to require payment for irrigation water over 150,000
cubic meters a year created "a huge conflict," he said.


14. (SBU) Comment: Jordan is pinning its longer-term hopes
on the two large-scale water projects, Red-Dead and Disi, to
"fix" its water supply problems. The capital costs for
these projects are approximately US$5 billion and US$750
million, respectively. With agriculture consuming two
thirds of Jordan's water and producing only 5-7% of GDP,
reallocation and demand-side management are better
solutions. In the shorter term, with only a few weeks of
potential rainy season left this year, Jordan is likely to
face a very dry summer. It's conceivable that surface-water
supplies, which largely go to agriculture, will be most
affected.

HALE