US embassy cable - 04DJIBOUTI300

UNCLAS DJIBOUTI 000300 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE PASS TO USTDA (CARRIE WALCZAK) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV, PREL, EFIN, EAID, PGOV, DJ 
SUBJECT: DESALINIZATION FEASIBILITY STUDY RECEIVES USTDA 
GRANT 
 
 
1. (U) SUMMARY: Ambassador Marguerita D. Ragsdale 
represented the U.S. in signing a grant agreement 
3 March 2004 between the U.S. Trade and Development 
Agency and the Office National des Eaux de Djibouti 
(ONED) to fund a feasibility study for a Desalinization 
Plant for Djibouti City. END SUMMARY. 
 
2. (U) In a ceremony in the Ambassador's office March 3, 
Ambassador and Mr. Abdulkader Kamil, Director General, 
signed a grant agreement between the U.S. Trade Development 
Agency and the Office National des Eaux de Djibouti 
(Djibouti National Office of Water) or ONED.  The 
agreement funds a $276,000 feasibility study for a 
Desalinization plant for Djibouti City. 
 
3. (U) The Government of Djibouti strongly believes 
that desalinization is the most viable alternative for 
Djibouti.  In recent years, the quality of water has 
deteriorated due mainly to overexploitation and non- 
renewal of the water reserve, due to lack of rainfall. 
The Japanese have assisted ONED in drilling new wells 
and rehabilitating the existing wells, but this does 
not seem to fully solve the problem.  Currently, the 
water supply cannot meet the increasing demand and the 
situation may become even more dire in the coming years. 
ONED has come to its last two options; a desalinization 
plant within the city or development of wells in the 
Hanle region, some 200 kilometers from the city.  The 
cost of an extensive network of piping needed to 
transport the water from the Hanle wells is a crucial 
factor in the decision. A desalinization plant also 
has possible benefits for the Livestock Holding Facility 
project currently being researched by USAID.  In addition 
to U.S. involvement in water studies, the President's 
Advisor on Investment, Fahmi Ahmed Al-Hag, said that 
the Saudis are conducting a cost comparison study of 
the two options. 
 
4. (U) ONED falls under the auspices of the Ministry of 
Agriculture, Livestock and Sea.  It is the Djiboutian 
government entity in charge of water supply and 
Hydraulic Resources in all five districts in Djibouti. 
Djibouti City and other towns in the district are 
supplied by deep wells drilled by ONED services, while 
smaller villages in the country use underground cisterns 
and shallow wells.  Djibouti City has some 30 wells 
within its boundaries to serve its roughly 200,000 person 
population. 
RAGSDALE