TURKMENISTAN: IGNORING WATER MANAGEMENT AND CONSERVATION

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 001009 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR SCA/CEN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SENV PGOV TX SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: IGNORING WATER MANAGEMENT AND CONSERVATION ISSUES REF: ASHGABAT 877 ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: According to a Turkmen government water specialist, for the past seven years, Ministry of Water Management resources have been devoted to the Turkmen Lake project (reftel). The Karakum Canal, the country's water lifeline, has suffered from the resulting neglect. Water conservation methods are sorely inadequate or nonexistent, especially in the agriculture sector. Without some long-term planning to balance water resources and needs, Turkmenistan will likely face a water management crisis. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (SBU) On August 4, Pol/Econ staff member met with an official of the National Design Institute for Hydraulic Engineering under the Ministry of Water Management of Turkmenistan. (NOTE: The contact is an alumnus of two USG-sponsored exchange programs, the Cochran Fellowship and SABIT, on water management. END NOTE.) The contact said that beginning in 2002 and until a month ago, the Ministry had been directing all its resources and efforts to the completion of the Turkmen Lake project. The contact expressed hope that now, as the project has been inaugurated, the Ministry will be able to focus on the maintenance of the Karakum Canal, the main water artery of the country. According to him, the canal is in critical condition and requires urgent measures for the reconstruction of the canal's hydraulic systems and replacement of worn-out equipment. ¶3. (SBU) The contact described the Turkmen government's existing water conservation techniques as following: a) development of pre-planting tillage schemes to prevent water loss; b) farm topography; and c) development of crop-specific irrigation regimes and cropping patterns with high water productive potential. There is a limited application of drip and sprinkler irrigation techniques for government-sponsored landscaping projects in Ashgabat. The existing system of agricultural management does not allow effective on-farm water management technologies and practices. ¶4. (SBU) Turkmenistan is the only state in the region that has not adopted the Integrated Water Management (IWM) system, which encourages planning and management on a natural water systems basis through a dynamic process that adapts to changing conditions. The contact said that IWM balances competing uses of water through efficient allocation that addresses cost effectiveness and environmental benefits. The current leadership of the Ministry of Water Management is not receptive to IWM, although former Minister Tekebai Altyev was open to the concept and understood its importance for regional cooperation. (NOTE: In February 2007, President Berdimuhamedov released Altyev from his post because he had reached retirement age. END NOTE.) The contact said that Turkmenistan's non-adoption of the IWM hampers effective regional water cooperation. ¶5. (SBU) When asked what areas in water management the Embassy should focus on for its future training programs, the contact recommended Integrated Water Management and Monitoring of Water-Salt Balance. He suggested that the current leadership of the Ministry of Water Management was familiar with practical implementation of Integrated Water Management in the U.S., and that mid-level specialists of the ministry had been introduced to U.S. water-salt monitoring technologies. ¶6. (SBU) The contact said that for the official ceremony attended by President Berdimuhamedov commissioning Turkmen Lake, Ministry of Water Management officials diverted fresh water from the Karakum Canal to supplement drainage waters to fill the lake. ¶7. (SBU) COMMENT: The fact that water from the Karakum Canal was used to fill Turkmen Lake supports the fear of local and international environmentalists that in order to send enough water to create the lake, Turkmenistan will withdraw water from the Amu Darya River. ASHGABAT 00001009 002 OF 002 ¶8. (SBU) COMMENT CONTINUED: To achieve long-term economic and social stability, the Government of Turkmenistan needs to balance its economic plans with its water resource potential. To do this, government agencies should openly and realistically discuss existing water problems among themselves and with the President. However, this was not possible under the late President Niyazov, and is unlikely to happen under President Berdimuhamedov. END COMMENT. MILES