Effects on the environment As valid for every other power plant also the project Ilisu will have certain effects on the environment. Compared to similar projects these impacts however will be low and in various respects be even positive. One thing is clear already: In the evaluation of the environmental impacts the consortium and the Turkish state adhered comprehensive to the high international standards, which are to be applied with such projects. Although the Turkish laws from the eighties did not provide for an environmental review, the „Ilisu engineering Group (IEG)" was assigned to perform the relevant Environmental Impact Assessment Study in 1997. IEG consisted of the renowned enterprises Hydro Concepts Engineering (HCE), Colenco Power Engineering Ltd., Hydro-Québec International Inc. (HQI) as well as of Dolsar Engineering Ltd. The new project consortium ordered a comprehensive actualization and update of the study in February 2005. The assignment was made to the „ILISU Environment Group", consisting of HCE, HQI and Archéotec Inc.  This report is available on this Website. You can find the full reports below - Environmental Report (UEIAR) - Environmental Report Amendment - Terms of Reference (TORs Environment) 1. Water flow rates and effects on other countries The discharge of the Tigris is subject to dramatic seasonal fluctuations. High discharge after rainfalls and snowmelt in March is followed by an extreme low water level from summer to autumn. The quantity of water of the river Tigris fluctuates up to the twenty-fold of its average value. Therefore it is inevitable to build dams at the Tigris in order to adjust the water quantities, avoiding therewith the regular floods and drought. Only by these means unstable conditions can be controlled, in order to ensure agricultural cultivation and drinking water and to produce electrical energy. The Ilisu dam with a storage capacity of 10.4 billion cubic meter guarantees a minimum quantity of water  to those people living downstream of the river during seasons when it is needed most. The dam adjusts the discharge of the Tigris and reduces the risk of inundations also in Syria and Iraq. Turkey committed to observe the guidelines concerning the minimum flow quantities. The monthly minimum water flow during the driest period could be increased from 60 to 100 cubic meters per second. Already in 1946 an Agreement between Turkey and Iraq was signed. The goal was to regulate the waterflow of the Tigris to the benefit of Iraq. It was planned to be financed by Iraq (Treaty of Friendship and Good Neighbourhood Relations). Additionally, Ilisu is not intended for the purpose of irrigation of the surrounding landscapes, but only for hydropower production. That means no water which flows through the turbines is branched off. It flows further downstream. Several political discussions with Syria and the Iraq on the issue Water Use at Euphrates and Tigris were strained in the past (Joint Technical Committee). There are however signs that the bilateral relations in a number of topics including water and energy improve. In this connection it is remarkable that Turkey has concluded comprehensive Agreements on the common water use of the border rivers with Greece and the former GUS-Nations. 2. Water quality A central concern of environmental NGOs is already smoothed out by planned and currently built waste water treatment- and drinking water purification plants: They guarantee a high-grade improvement of water quality. At present the discharge of not filtered waste water from large cities such as Diyarbakir, Bismil, Batman and Siirt is a problem. This is solved with the projects' accompanying measures to a large extent and measures are sought to overcome nitrate pollution caused by artificial fertilizers. With the assistance of the Kreditanstalt fuer Wiederaufbau (KfW) a series of treatment plants was already commissioned (Gaziantep, Diyarbakir, Siirt, Van, Sanliurfa) or  has taken up to be built (Siirt, Sirnak, Batman, Mardin, Bismil). 3. Flora and fauna The Ilisu reservoir will create a water surface of approximately 300 square kilometres and more than 20 islands. It is not expected that sediments of the Tigris and its contributories cause losses of the impoundment volume. However, at the lower end of the storage lake deltas caused by sediments will emerge, which will be covered with vegetation and so generate a favourable climate for the settlement of animals. Additionally the riverbed around the Deltas will be colonized by various fish species. The new reservoir will serve for instance as habitat for hibernating ducks and geese. Also the cormorant being currently present at the river, as well as other birds and mammals will find new habitats at the affluents and the lake itself. Anyhow, the fauna is not endangered by the plant. To the contrary: the islands, which are barred from human influence, offer protected habitat for rare, native plants – and likewise nesting sites for birds. Even nature reservations which do not exist in the region today, could develop. Something similar applies to forests: Such do not exist at present in the region practically. Due to the more favourable conditions in the future the Forestry Ministry has already compiled plans for a reforestation. The dam will very positively affect also the fish stock. Within five years a substantial increase of plankton, different organisms and fish is to be expected. That has naturally effects on the fishery: As the example Karakaya shows, where in ten years 400 fishermen found work, a positive development is to be expected with the Ilisu dam also in this respect.