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Dept for International Development

Answer

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the current levels of (a) water and (b) electricity provision in Iraq are; and what the targets for improvement in the next 12 months are. [188351] Hilary Benn: Estimates suggest that immediately after the 2003 conflict, 60 per cent. of urban and 30 per cent. of rural populations had access to safe water. In October 2003, the United Nations and World Bank's Needs Assessment of Iraq proposed a 2007 target of increasing water access in urban areas by 30 per cent., and in rural areas by 45 per cent., from immediate post-conflict levels. Considerable work has taken place since May 2003 to improve the quantity, quality and reliability of water supplies. In Basra the water supply situation remains difficult but is now better than before the 2003 conflict. Informal estimates by the former Coalition Provisional Authority (South) indicated that, in the south, coverage increased by 10 per cent. to 15 per cent. from May 2003 to July 2004. Major infrastructure work which is mainly US funded is planned over the next year. United Nations agencies are providing up to 800,000 litres of drinking water per day to vulnerable groups and inhabitants of rural areas. Drinking water is also sold by bottle or tanker. The restoration of 14 Basra Governorate water treatment plants is on schedule for completion by the end of October 2004. In Baghdad, civil engineering work has now been completed at three wastewater treatment plants. The UN is operating water tankers and supplying water purification tablets to meet shortfalls. Water specialists from the USA are working with local government officials in Baghdad Municipality's water department to improve water treatment throughout the city. The supply of electricity in Iraq has improved since May 2003. Production now averages 4,750 MW, compared with the pre-conflict level of 4,400 MW. Most of Iraq is now receiving between nine and 15 hours of electricity daily. Significant programmes of long-term rehabilitation of electrical infrastructure are being undertaken alongside planning for the expansion of generating capacity with new plants. However, security problems continue to slow the progress of reconstruction and make precise forecasting difficult. The Interim Iraqi Government has set a target of 6,000 MW by the end of 2004. The United Nations and World Bank's Needs Assessment proposed a target of 8,760 MW by 2007.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

424 c1523-4W;424 c1521-2W; 188351

Session

2003-04

Subjects

Electricity generation Electricity Iraq Drinking water Water Water supply Water treatment

Link

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