TAJIKISTAN AND AFGHANISTAN: LET THE FLOOD GATES OF WATER

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 DUSHANBE 001558

SIPDIS

STATE FOR SCA/CEN, SCA/A
SCA FOR R. DEUTSCH
NSC FOR MERKEL, MILLARD
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON EAID EAGR ENRG AF TI
SUBJECT: TAJIKISTAN AND AFGHANISTAN: LET THE FLOOD GATES OF WATER
COOPERATION OPEN

REF: DUSHANBE 1469

DUSHANBE 00001558 001.2 OF 003



1. SUMMARY: Senior Afghan water officials visited Tajikistan
August 2-9 to discuss bilateral cooperation in developing joint
projects along the Amu Darya and Pyanj Rivers, which form the
Afghan-Tajik border. The highly successful visit initiated a
practical dialogue and strong partnership between government
officials, resulted in two draft Memorandums of Understanding,
and fostered an optimistic and eager outlook on transboundary
water cooperation which will help to integrate and develop the
economies of Tajikistan and Afghanistan by harnessing hydropower
and developing irrigation systems for commercial agriculture.
Both governments strongly welcome the U. S. role in fostering
technical capacity and political will in both countries towards
resolution of complex and sensitive transboundary water issues.
END SUMMARY.


2. The First Deputy of Minister of Energy and Water, Kamullidin
Nezami, accompanied by two Afghan advisors and two senior
officials from Embassy Kabul's Afghan Reconstruction Group
toured Tajikistan August 2-9 to meet with senior Tajik
government officials and study strategic water development
projects. Highlights among the delegation's many field visits
included the site where the Afghans propose building a future
irrigation and hydropower dam at the upper Amu Darya, after the
Pyanj and Vaksh Rivers converge. The irrigation dam and 400 km
canal siphoning water from the Amu Darya into northern
Afghanistan could provide water to irrigate 500,000 hectares of
land which would help introduce commercial agriculture in this
remote corner of Afghanistan. (NOTE: This 1000 MW Upper Amu
Darya hydropower dam is included in the Tajik schematic for
developing the river, but has not been a high priority for the
Tajiks prior to this visit. They place greater priority on
developing hydropower stations at Dhasti-Jhum, Granite Gates and
Roghun. END NOTE.)


3. In addition, the group visited the Chubek Canal along the
Pyanj River which separates Tajikistan and Afghanistan and
eventually flows into the Amu Darya. The Asian Development Bank
is providing about $22 million for stream bank protection and
reinforcement with concrete structures to prevent massive
flooding. Last year, floods destroyed homes and killed several
people along the banks of the river. Similar needs exist on the
Afghan side of the border, but so far the flood control projects
are only on the Tajik side. Joint projects are required to
avoid detrimental consequences for the Afghan side of the
border.


4. The group also visited the proposed site for the Upper Darya
Irrigation Diversion Dam which could be used to open large areas
of Northern Afghanistan to irrigation. The Afghans would like
this dam built in conjunction with the Dhasti-Jhum Hydroelectric
Dam, which would be the "Hoover Dam" of Central Asia (reftel).
The team visited various other irrigation diversion and
control structures and the Nurek dam and hydroelectric power
station, the largest rock-fill dam in Central Asia.


5. Meetings with Tajik officials including the Minister of
Water, Abdukahir Nazirov, established a good working
relationship between the two groups. Throughout the country,
the Tajiks welcomed their Afghan counterparts with open arms,
bestowed on them traditional Tajik gifts and of course treated
them to the requisite large lunch and dinner feasts, one of
which included five main courses of meat. In deference to their
Afghan colleagues, the Tajik hosts served these meals without
the usual vodka toasting. A shared language and common culture
will help to facilitate communication and ease future exchanges
of technical experts.


TWO MOUS ARE BETTER THAN ONE


6. Tajikistan's State Committee on Environmental Protection's
Agency for Hydrometeorology drafted a draft Memorandum of

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Understanding for Nezami proposing the establishment of water
gauging stations along the Amu Darya and Pyanj rivers. Staff
gages and manual water measurements were once used, but the
Tajiks have been unable to access the Afghan side of the border
for manual measurements for the last 15 years. Water
measurement is crucial for developing water allocation options
between the republics and for planning of projects and
implementing measures to prevent massive flooding, which takes
lives, destroys homes, and erodes the river's banks causing
millions of dollars worth of damage each year. Modern gauging
stations will provide needed data for future projects such as
large dams and irrigation diversion structures to regulate and
manage the water flow. The two governments are currently
negotiating the MoU's terms. No major hurdles are foreseen and
it is expected that both governments will sign a final MoU in
the near future.


7. The Tajik Ministry of Water and Land Reclamation is
preparing an overarching MoU on joint cooperation for projects
along the Amu Darya for Afghan consideration. The draft MoU
will serve as a basis for future cooperation and will include
items such as Tajik assistance in design of dams and structures
and agreement to collaborate on future infrastructure projects
along the Pyanj and Amu Darya. This point is particularly
salient for the proposed Dhasti-Jhum hydroelectric dam project.
In order for the dam to be constructed and to be successful,
both countries need to reach an official understanding of water
use and sharing along the river. Afghan and Tajik officials
also discussed submitting joint proposals to international
financial institutions for development projects which would
benefit both countries.


U.S. ASSISTANCE NEEDED


8. The United States plays a strong leadership role on water
sharing issues in Central Asia. In meetings with EmbOffs,
Afghan First Deputy Minister of Water Nezami and Tajikistan's
Minister of Water and Land Reclamation Nazirov both requested
U.S. support in facilitating transboundary water cooperation.
Afghanistan and Tajikistan do not have the technical or
financial capacity to train specialists, develop legislation for
water management, or pursue infrastructure projects alone. The
United States can provide assistance by:

-- Developing exchange programs to send Afghans and Tajiks
specialists to the United States for technical training;
-- Supporting specialists from the United States to work in
Afghanistan and Tajikistan in advisory roles on water management
issues;
-- Providing political support for worthwhile joint proposals of
project development along the Pyanj and Amu Darya River; and
-- Identifying financial resources to fund dams, hydroelectric
facilities, irrigation, water supply and management projects.


9. Transboundary water issues in Central Asia are politically
sensitive. Afghanistan has no water sharing agreement with
Tajikistan, Turkmenistan or Uzbekistan which will be necessary
to prevent international conflicts over water in the Amu Darya.
Dushanbe and Kabul have gotten off to a good start and with
assistance from the United States should be able to develop
practical bilateral water sharing agreements. Once this is
done, Afghanistan and Tajikistan will be able to address the
more complex issues of water sharing with Uzbekistan and
Turkmenistan. The Tajik Minister of Water and the Afghan First
Deputy Minister for Water specifically requested U.S. assistance
in facilitating long term regional agreements equitable to all
countries.


10. Post considers this visit a significant step forward,
particularly in terms of the South and Central Asian regional
integration initiative. In a region beset by narcotics and
terrorism, water has not always been at the forefront of policy

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or funding decisions. If Afghans and Tajiks can develop working
relationships on water, we are confident they will be able to
parlay those relationships to other sectors. The water
cooperation will also help realize the region's hydropower
potential and lead towards the economic integration necessary
for long-term stability.
HUSHEK