US embassy cable - 05BAGHDAD4897

UNCLAS BAGHDAD 004897 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
STATE FOR NEA/I 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: N/A 
TAGS: EAID, PGOV, PNAT, PREL, IZ, Reconstruction 
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR MEETS WITH WATER 
RESOURCES MINISTER, DISCUSSES TRANSBOUNDARY 
WATER ISSUES AND RECONSTRUCTION 
 
1. (U) SUMMARY: Ambassador and IRMO Director Speckhard 
met with Minister of Water Resources Dr. Latif Rashid 
on November 28 to discuss government transition, 
capacity development, and substantive issues related 
to Ministry of Water Resources (MoWR).  These included 
transboundary water issues with Turkey and Iran, 
completion of Bekhma Dam, and access to critical flood 
control structures.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2. (SBU) Turkey is the largest source of water for 
Iraq, but there is no agreement on allocation of 
shared waters. Flows into Iraq from Turkey had been 30 
billion cubic meters per year (bcmy) but have been 
reduced to 11 bcmy due to upstream developments. 
According to Rashid, the desired flow for Iraq from 
Turkey would be 15 to 20 bcmy.  The Minister said he 
has visited Turkey twice to discuss conducting 
technical discussions; MoWR is ready to proceed, but 
no meetings have occurred.  Rashid said he also has 
visited Iran to discuss shared water, since upstream 
developments also may reduce flows into Iraq from Iran 
in the future.  The Minister requested high-resolution 
satellite imagery from the USG of upstream catchments 
in Iran, especially of the Diyala/Serwan River basin. 
 
3. (U) Bekhma Dam, located 100km north of Irbil, is an 
approximately 30 percent complete hydroelectric 
facility with a proposed capacity of 1500 megawatts. 
MoWR views the dam as a source of cheap power and is 
keen to complete the project, for which cost estimates 
have ranged from $1.5 to 2 billion.  MoWR is 
conducting additional feasibility studies.  The 
Ambassador and the Minister discussed the possibility 
of developing a consortium, which might include the 
Asian Development Bank and the Government of Japan to 
finance the remaining construction.  Currently, all 
MoWR hydroelectric facilities together produce 
approximately 1300 megawatts, or 25 percent of the 
national energy portfolio. 
 
4. (U) Rashid requested IRMO assistance in resolving 
accessibility problems for MoWR personnel at Haditha 
Dam and other flood control structures currently 
protected by MNF-I forces.  IRMO is working with MNF-I 
to resolve these problems.  The Ambassador then raised 
the idea of combining security forces from different 
Iraqi ministries into a single entity.  The Minister 
agreed that centralization of security across the GOI 
might be good and noted that MoWR has 4,000 to 5,000 
guards around the country. 
 
5. (U) The Minister has designated a point of contact 
for the new Capacity Development Program and indicated 
that assistance is needed particularly in design and 
operations and maintenance.  With few exceptions, MoWR 
is on track with its FY05 budget implementation and 
has 400 to 500 projects in process.  However, 
significant projects remain unfunded.  Ambassador 
recommended seeking international donors, such as the 
Gulf countries, for unfunded projects and offered to 
assist with donor coordination. 
 
6. (SBU) The Minister agreed to cooperate on 
transition planning at the Ministry and underlined the 
need for competent ministers across the Iraqi 
government.  The Minister also noted the need to 
clarify the responsibilities and authorities of the 
central Ministry and the governorates. 
 
KHALILZAD