Jordan Strikes Deal for Israeli Water Assistance; Domestic

UNCLAS AMMAN 001639 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/ELA, NEA/RA, AND OES STATE PASS TO USAID EPA FOR INTERNATIONAL USDA FOR FOREST SERVICE/INTERNATIONAL INTERIOR FOR INTERNATIONAL/WASHBURNE CAIRO FOR VIALA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SENV EAGR PGOV PREL JO IS SUBJECT: Jordan Strikes Deal for Israeli Water Assistance; Domestic Water Demand Still Exceeds Supply REF: A) Amman 409 B) Amman 228 (U) SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED. NOT FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION ¶1. (SBU) Summary: Jordan is preparing for a rough summer of water supply constraints, a result of the recent winter providing less precipitation than expected. To mitigate the impact, Jordan has reached an agreement with Israel in which the latter will provide an additional 11 million cubic meters (MCM) of water this summer to Jordan from Lake Tiberias/Sea of Galilee. Most of this additional water is intended for municipal needs, which take priority over all other sectors, according to GOJ policy. Only 43 percent of the agricultural water needs in the Jordan Valley are currently being supplied, sufficient for the survival of existing crops, but not for planting new crops. The additional water assistance will be helpful, but it will have little impact on the Jordan Valley Authority's predicament -- caught between the conflicting needs of the municipal water and agricultural sectors. End Summary. Israel to Help Jordan through a Dry Patch -------------- ¶2. (SBU) With the recent winter providing less precipitation than expected, Jordan is preparing for a long, dry summer (ref A). Confirming what Ambassador and emboffs have heard in recent weeks from local Israeli Embassy officials, Secretary General of the Jordan Valley Authority (JVA) Mousa Jamani told ESTH Officer that Israel has agreed to lend Jordan an additional 11 million cubic meters (MCM) of water this summer from Lake Tiberias. The deal was reportedly struck during an April 2008 visit to Israel by Raed Abu Saud, Jordan's Minister of Water and Irrigation. ¶3. (SBU) Jamani explained that under the 1994 peace treaty, each year Israel provides Jordan with 25 MCM of water from Lake Tiberias distributed over the course of the year. It also provides 10 MCM of "desalinated" water annually. Note: Although the desalination plant stipulated in the peace treaty was never built, 10 MCM is provided under that rubric. End Note. Jordan, in return, is expected to divert 20 MCM of water from the Yarmouk River to Lake Tiberias every winter. Jamani noted that during the 2007-2008 winter, Jordan was only able to divert 1.5 MCM of water to Israel. Despite Jordan's deficit, Israel has agreed to provide it with an additional 11 MCM to mitigate the summer crisis, resulting, according to Jamani, in Jordan needing to return 9.5 MCM of water in the future. Drought Measures Severely Impact Agricultural Sector -------------- -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Jamani reiterated the GOJ policy that municipal water needs take priority over all other sectors. JVA is therefore diverting 55 percent of all water from the Jordan Valley for municipal use. Jamani complained, however, of the immense water losses, currently estimated at 45 percent of capacity, from leaking pipes as well as the lack of payment in the municipal sector, and how reducing these losses would relieve JVA of some of its burden. While Amman and other urban areas are likely to keep receiving water over the summer months, the agricultural sector will be severely affected. Jamani noted that only 43 percent of the agricultural water needs in the Jordan Valley were currently being supplied, sufficient for the survival of existing crops, but not for planting new crops. When questioned about whether any compensation would be paid to the farmers for their likely farming losses, an occasional GOJ practice, Jamani commented that no money had been set aside for reimbursement (ref A). ¶5. (SBU) Jamani surmised that farmers understand the reality and will more easily accept the tough conditions because the JVA maintains a regular dialogue with them. He highlighted that the efficiency of Jordan's agricultural distribution network is close to 90 percent, well above the worldwide average of 70 percent, which means that little water is lost in the system of canals and pipes up to the farm gate. However, the water losses at the farm unit are inordinately high, leading to overall low water efficiency in Jordan's agricultural sector. JVA is piloting a change in its distribution paradigm, and will sell water in bulk to farmer committees rather than to individual farmers. Jamani expects farm efficiency will be improved by empowering farmer committees to be in charge of allocations to their members. ¶6. (SBU) Comment: While the domestic use priority requires JVA to ensure sufficient supply to the municipal water utilities, JVA also has to face the wrath of Jordan's agricultural community which has an expectation of receiving adequate water supplies. Though Jamani complained of the high losses in the urban sector, he did not mention that on-farm water management efficiency is only 40 percent, below the international norm for similar systems which exceeds 80 percent. The additional water assistance from Israel this summer will be helpful, but it will have little impact on JVA's predicament, caught between the needs of the municipal water sector and agricultural sector. Given current competing demands which are exacerbated by low rainfall, Jordan simply lacks sufficient water to meet all of the country's development needs. JVA's problems were evident during the 40-minute meeting, during which Jamani received two phone calls from high-level politicians requesting additional water supplies for their agricultural constituents. End Comment. Visit Amman's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/amman HALE