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The Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) is a partnership among the
Nile The Nile, , Bohairic , lg, Kiira , Nobiin: Áman Dawū is a major north-flowing river in northeastern Africa. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile is the longest river in Africa and has historically been considered the longest riv ...
riparian states that “seeks to develop the river in a cooperative manner, share substantial socioeconomic benefits, and promote regional peace and security”. The NBI began with a dialogue among the riparian states that resulted in a shared vision objective “to achieve sustainable socioeconomic development through the equitable utilization of, and benefit from, the common Nile Basin water resources."Nile Basin Initiative:Background
/ref> It was formally launched in February 1999 by the water ministers of nine countries that share the river:
Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning the North Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via a land bridg ...
,
Sudan Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...
,
Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...
,
Uganda }), is a landlocked country in East Africa. The country is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the south by Tanzania. The ...
,
Kenya ) , national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...
,
Tanzania Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands ...
,
Burundi Burundi (, ), officially the Republic of Burundi ( rn, Repuburika y’Uburundi ; Swahili: ''Jamuhuri ya Burundi''; French: ''République du Burundi'' ), is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley at the junction between the African Gr ...
,
Rwanda Rwanda (; rw, u Rwanda ), officially the Republic of Rwanda, is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley of Central Africa, where the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa converge. Located a few degrees south of the Equator ...
, the
Democratic Republic of Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...
(DRC), as well as
Eritrea Eritrea ( ; ti, ኤርትራ, Ertra, ; ar, إرتريا, ʾIritriyā), officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa region of Eastern Africa, with its capital and largest city at Asmara. It is bordered by Ethiopi ...
as an observer. From its beginning the Nile Basin Initiative has been supported by the
World Bank The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of low- and middle-income countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects. The World Bank is the collective name for the Inte ...
and by other external partners. The World Bank has a mandate to support the work of the NBI, as lead development partner and as administrator of the multi-donor Nile Basin Trust Fund. One of the partners is the "Nile Basin Discourse", which describes itself as "a civil society network of organisations seeking to achieve positive influence over the development of projects and programmes under the Nile Basin Initiative". In May 2010, five upstream states signed a Cooperative Framework Agreement to seek more water from the River Nile — a move strongly opposed by Egypt and Sudan.BBC:East Africa seeks more Nile water from Egypt
14 May 2010
Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania were original signatories with Burundi signing in February 2011. The DRC is also expected to sign, while Egypt and Sudan are not expected to do so. Representatives of upstream countries said they were "tired of first getting permission from Egypt before using river Nile water for any development project like irrigation", as required by a treaty signed during the colonial era between Egypt and Britain in 1929.


Institutional framework

The NBI institutional framework consists of three key institutions: * The Nile Council of Ministers of Water Affairs provides policy guidance and makes decisions. Its Chairpersonship is on a rotational one-year basis. The host of the regular council meetings is traditionally elected as the Chair for the forthcoming year. Since June 2010 the chair is Asfaw Dingamo, Ethiopia’s Minister of Water Resources, elected at the 18th regular meeting in Addis Ababa in June 2010. He was preceded by Egypt’s Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Mohamed Nasr el Din Allam (2009–10), elected at the 17th regular meeting in Alexandria in July 2009, as well as Jose Endundu, Minister Of Environment of the Democratic Republic of Congo (2008–09) and Minister Of Water and Environment of Uganda, Maria Mutagamba (2007–2008). The council holds regular annual meetings as well as extraordinary meetings. Extraordinary meetings were held in May 2009 in Kinshasa and in April 2010 in Sharm el-Sheikh. * The NBI Technical Advisory Committee, established in 1998. It is made up of senior civil servants and provides technical advice and assistance to the Council of Ministers. The committee is made up of one representative from each riparian country and one alternate. It meets two to three times a year. *The NBI Secretariat, established in 1999 provides administrative support to the Council of Ministers and the Technical Advisory Committee. It is based in Entebbe, Uganda, headed by an Executive Director. The position is on a rotational basis for a 2-year term. The current Executive Director, Teferra Beyene Asfaw from Ethiopia, assumed office in September 2012. Two subsidiary programs are managed by the Eastern Nile Regional Technical Office (ENTRO), which is based in Addis Ababa, and the NELSAP Coordinating Unit (NELSAP-CU), which is based in Kigali, Rwanda. In addition, various projects under the Share Vision Program have regional project management units located in Cairo (applied training), Addis Ababa (water resources planning), Dar es-Salaam (power trade) and Nairobi (agriculture).


Main programs

The NBI consists of three main programs: The Shared Vision Program, the Eastern Nile Subsidiary Action Program and the Nile Equatorial Lakes Subsidiary Action Program.


The Shared Vision Program

The Shared Vision Program (SVP), “a Basin-wide program that focuses on building institutions, sharing data and information, providing training and creating avenues for dialogue and region-wide networks needed for joint problem-solving, collaborative development, and developing multi-sector and multi-country programs of investment to develop water resources in a sustainable way.” It is financed through grants and aims to foster trust to build an enabling environment for investment. In 2010 it included the following eight projects mainly focused on regional training: * an Applied Training Project that provides training in Integrated Water Resources Management; * a Confidence-Building and Stakeholder Involvement Project that "is working to increase the involvement of a broad range of stakeholders—from policy and decision makers, to small business men and women, to fishermen and farmers, to religious and youth groups"; * a Regional Power Trade Project; * a Transboundary Environmental Action Project that "provides training in environmental management and monitoring, water quality monitoring, and wetlands conservation"; * an Efficient Water Use for Agriculture Project; * a Water Resources Management Project; * a Socio-economic and Benefits Sharing Project that builds a "network of professionals from economic planning and research institutions, technical experts from both the public and private sectors, academics, sociologists, and representatives from civic groups and NGOs"; * a Shared Vision Coordination Project.


The Eastern Nile Subsidiary Action Program

The Eastern Nile Subsidiary Action Program (ENSAP) "seeks to develop the water resources of the
Eastern Nile Eastern Nile was a state in South Sudan that existed between 2 October 2015 and 14 January 2017 when it was divided into Central Upper Nile State and Northern Upper Nile State. It was located in the Greater Upper Nile region and it was part of t ...
Basin in a sustainable and equitable way to ensure prosperity, security and peace for all its peoples". It is managed by the Eastern Nile Technical Regional Office (ENTRO) based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It is grouped into fast-track investments and more complex, longer-term multi-purpose track investments.


Fast-track investments

This track included four projects in early 2008:World Bank:ENSAP investment projects
/ref> The Regional Watershed Management Project aims to establish sustainable management of watersheds on the Tekeze,
Atbara Atbara (sometimes Atbarah) ( ar, عطبرة ʿAṭbarah) is a city located in River Nile State in northeastern Sudan. Because of its links to the railway industry, Atbara is also known as the "Railway City'. As of 2007, its population is 1 ...
,
Mareb Marib ( ar, مَأْرِب, Maʾrib; Old South Arabian: 𐩣𐩧𐩨/𐩣𐩧𐩺𐩨 ''Mryb/Mrb'') is the capital city of Marib Governorate, Yemen. It was the capital of the ancient kingdom of '' Sabaʾ'' ( ar, سَبَأ), which some scholars ...
, Abbay/
Blue Nile The Blue Nile (; ) is a river originating at Lake Tana in Ethiopia. It travels for approximately through Ethiopia and Sudan. Along with the White Nile, it is one of the two major tributaries of the Nile and supplies about 85.6% of the water to ...
and the Baro/ Akobo/ Sobat rivers in Ethiopia and Sudan. The initial project sites identified include
Lake Nasser Lake Nasser ( ar, بحيرة ناصر ', ) is a vast reservoir in Southern Egypt and northern Sudan. It is one of the largest man-made lakes in the world. Before construction, Sudan was against the building of Lake Nasser because it would encr ...
/
Nubia Nubia () ( Nobiin: Nobīn, ) is a region along the Nile river encompassing the area between the first cataract of the Nile (just south of Aswan in southern Egypt) and the confluence of the Blue and White Niles (in Khartoum in central Sud ...
in Egypt; Jamma, Reb, and Gumara sub-basins, as well as watershed management in
Tana Tana may refer to: Places Africa * Lake Tana, a lake in Ethiopia (and a source of the Nile River) * Tana Qirqos, an island in the eastern part of Lake Tana in Ethiopia, near the mouth of the Gumara River * Tana River County, a county of Coast P ...
- Beles as part of the Tana-Beles Integrated Water Resources Development Project in Ethiopia; and the lower Atbara, Ingessena Mountains and areas around
Dinder National Park Dinder National Park is a national park and biosphere reserve in eastern Sudan, and is connected to Ethiopia's Alitash National Park. Location Dinder lies approximately southeast of Khartoum, on either side of the Dinder River bounded to the ...
in Sudan. The Ethiopia Power Export Project (formerly called the Ethiopia-Sudan Internconnection Project) will connect the power grids of Ethiopia and Sudan to facilitate cross-border energy trade and optimize existing and planned generation capacity. It aims to overcome the severe electricity shortage in both countries. The World Bank is providing a US$41 million credit for investments in Ethiopia approved in 2007. The Government of Sudan is funding activities in Sudan. The Regional Irrigation and Drainage Project aims to develop and expand irrigated agriculture and improve the productivity of existing agriculture through more efficient use of water. It consists of three national sub-projects: * Egypt West Delta Water Conservation and Irrigation Rehabilitation Project supported by a US$145 million loan from the World Bank approved in 2007 * Ethiopia Irrigation and Drainage Project, supported by a US$100 million World Bank subsidized credit approved in 2007, including for investments in the Reb and Magech drainage areas in the
Amhara Region The Amhara Region ( am, አማራ ክልል, Åmara Kilil), officially the Amhara National Regional State (), is a regional state in northern Ethiopia and the homeland of the Amhara people. Its capital is Bahir Dar which is the seat of the Re ...
(Lake Tana basin). * Sudan Upper
Atbara Atbara (sometimes Atbarah) ( ar, عطبرة ʿAṭbarah) is a city located in River Nile State in northeastern Sudan. Because of its links to the railway industry, Atbara is also known as the "Railway City'. As of 2007, its population is 1 ...
Irrigation Project The Flood Preparedness and Early Warning Project, a US$4 million project approved in 2007 with an expected duration of three years, will focus on building
flood forecasting Flood forecasting is the use of forecasted precipitation and streamflow data in rainfall-runoff and streamflow routing models to forecast flow rates and water levels for periods ranging from a few hours to days ahead, depending on the size of the ...
capabilities and flood emergency preparedness and response. This will include efforts to improve dissemination of
flood warning A flood warning is closely linked to the task of flood forecasting. The distinction between the two is that the outcome of flood forecasting is a set of forecast time-profiles of channel flows or river levels at various locations, while "flood wa ...
information to communities at risk, strengthen existing institutions and mechanisms to alert communities; establish community-based plans to reduce flood damages and capture environmental benefits; deliver public education programs; and develop regional and local
emergency preparedness Emergency management or disaster management is the managerial function charged with creating the framework within which communities reduce vulnerability to hazards and cope with disasters. Emergency management, despite its name, does not actuall ...
and response plans.


Multi-purpose track

The multi-purpose track includes a series of studies aimed at developing common analytical tools, as well as a tentative plan for coordinated investments called the Joint Multipurpose Program.


= Development of common analytical tools

= Specific common analytical tools will be developed for the power sector, watershed management and irrigation/drainage, integrated by an overall planning model. *The Watershed Management Cooperative Regional Assessment is considered by the World Bank to be a critical building block for determining future regional watershed investments. The study will build a shared information base from which to assess impacts of different land management interventions on a regional scale. This assessment will include a transboundary analysis of the Eastern Nile watershed system and associated livelihoods and analyze how benefits accrue across the three countries under alternative watershed management interventions. *The Eastern Nile Power Trade Investment Project is part of the overall effort to promote regional power trade by coordinating the planning and development of power projects and transmission interconnection across the three Eastern Nile countries. This study includes an assessment of the scope and potential of an Eastern Nile power market, potential power generation options in the three countries, potential sites for transmission interconnection, and potential power trading arrangements. *The Irrigation and Drainage Cooperative Regional Assessment includes both regional studies of irrigation and development opportunities, as well as engineering studies of specific sites. The regional study seeks to develop guidelines for selection of projects of regional interest, quantify the benefits and costs of irrigation projects from national and regional perspectives, and explore institutional and legislative reform options to harmonize the approach to rural development and facilitate regional cooperation. *The Eastern Nile Planning Model Project is intended to help Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan identify, prepare, and implement cooperative development projects that benefit all three countries.


= Joint Multipurpose Program

= The Joint Multipurpose Program (JMP) is a long-term program with a 25-30 year horizon that includes a coordinated set of investments to ensure the sustainable development and management of shared Eastern Nile waters, including the Abbay (
Blue Nile The Blue Nile (; ) is a river originating at Lake Tana in Ethiopia. It travels for approximately through Ethiopia and Sudan. Along with the White Nile, it is one of the two major tributaries of the Nile and supplies about 85.6% of the water to ...
), Tekeze (Setit)-
Atbara Atbara (sometimes Atbarah) ( ar, عطبرة ʿAṭbarah) is a city located in River Nile State in northeastern Sudan. Because of its links to the railway industry, Atbara is also known as the "Railway City'. As of 2007, its population is 1 ...
, Baro- Akobo- Sobat, portions of the White Nile and the Main Nile. The first set of investments under the program is likely to include: *Watershed and environmental management, including
reforestation Reforestation (occasionally, reafforestation) is the natural or intentional restocking of existing forests and woodlands ( forestation) that have been depleted, usually through deforestation, but also after clearcutting. Management A de ...
, river bank
erosion control Erosion control is the practice of preventing or controlling wind or water erosion in agriculture, land development, coastal areas, river banks and construction. Effective erosion controls handle surface runoff and are important techniques i ...
, and creation of alternative livelihoods. *Linking river and power systems through an infrastructure backbone including a regional power grid and increase capacity for water storage for
flood control Flood control methods are used to reduce or prevent the detrimental effects of flood waters."Flood Control", MSN Encarta, 2008 (see below: Further reading). Flood relief methods are used to reduce the effects of flood waters or high water level ...
,
hydropower Hydropower (from el, ὕδωρ, "water"), also known as water power, is the use of falling or fast-running water to produce electricity or to power machines. This is achieved by converting the gravitational potential or kinetic energy of ...
,
irrigation Irrigation (also referred to as watering) is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow crops, landscape plants, and lawns. Irrigation has been a key aspect of agriculture for over 5,000 years and has been devel ...
and water conservation. Other potential benefits include improved
inland navigation Inland navigation, inland barge transport or inland waterway transport (IWT) is a transport system allowing ships and barges to use inland waterways (such as canals, rivers and lakes). These waterways have inland ports, marinas, quays, and wharfs. ...
, more productive
fisheries Fishery can mean either the enterprise of raising or harvesting fish and other aquatic life; or more commonly, the site where such enterprise takes place ( a.k.a. fishing ground). Commercial fisheries include wild fisheries and fish farms, ...
and sufficient flows of water to maintain critical
ecosystems An ecosystem (or ecological system) consists of all the organisms and the physical environment with which they interact. These biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and energy flows. Energy enters the syst ...
. *Enhancing agricultural production through intensified and expanded irrigated agriculture, coupled with targeted investments in
agribusiness Agribusiness is the industry, enterprises, and the field of study of value chains in agriculture and in the bio-economy, in which case it is also called bio-business or bio-enterprise. The primary goal of agribusiness is to maximize profit w ...
, marketing, and other agricultural support services. Improved watershed management would also help expand
rainwater harvesting Rainwater harvesting (RWH) is the collection and storage of rain, rather than allowing it to run off. Rainwater is collected from a roof-like surface and redirected to a tank, cistern, deep pit (well, shaft, or borehole), aquifer, or a reservoir w ...
, improve
livestock Livestock are the domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to provide labor and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The term is sometimes used to refer solely to ani ...
productivity, and promote fisheries development. *Complementary investments to leverage growth and promote regional integration, such as in telecommunications, transport, industry, tourism, and credit systems. *Establishing institutions for joint action, including innovative approaches to financing, shared information systems, and improved public communication and transparency.


The Nile Equatorial Lakes Subsidiary Action Program

The Nile Equatorial Lakes Subsidiary Action Program (NELSAP) “is an investment program under the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI). Its mission is to help reduce poverty, promote economic growth, and reverse environmental degradation.” NELSAP programs fall under two broad program areas: Natural Resources Management and Development, and Power Development and Trade.


Natural Resources Management and Development

This program area includes the following projects: *The Kagera Transboundary Integrated Water Resources Management and Development project launched in December 2005. The project is shared between Burundi, Tanzania, Rwanda and Uganda. *The Mara Transboundary Integrated Water Resources Management and Development project in the
Mara Mara or MARA may refer to: Animals *Mara (mammal), a species of the cavy family *Mara the Lioness, in the movie ''Born Free'' Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * Mara (''Doctor Who''), an evil being in two ''Doctor Who'' serials *Mara, ...
and the
Serengeti The Serengeti ( ) ecosystem is a geographical region in Africa, spanning northern Tanzania. The protected area within the region includes approximately of land, including the Serengeti National Park and several game reserves. The Serenget ...
national parks launched effective January 2006. It is shared between Tanzania and Kenya. *The Sio-Malaba-Malakisi Transboundary Integrated Water Resources Management and Development project shared by Kenya and Uganda focuses on promoting development and reducing conflicts between communities using water resources of the three sub basins fed from the slopes of
Mount Elgon Mount Elgon is an extinct shield volcano on the border of Uganda and Kenya, north of Kisumu and west of Kitale. The mountain's highest point, named "Wagagai", is located entirely within Uganda.
. The project was launched in January 2006. *The
Lake Edward Lake Edward (locally Rwitanzigye or Rweru) is one of the smaller African Great Lakes. It is located in the Albertine Rift, the western branch of the East African Rift, on the border between the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda, ...
and Lake Albert Fisheries Pilot Project in Uganda and the DemocraticRepublic of Congo, including small-scale community-level investments to improve protection of water catchment areas, build access roads, and supply drinking water and sanitation. The project was launched in June 2005 and was scheduled to be completed in 2007. The African Development Bank is providing financial support for this project. *The Abatement of the
Water Hyacinth ''Pontederia crassipes'' (formerly ''Eichhornia crassipes''), commonly known as common water hyacinth is an aquatic plant native to South America, naturalized throughout the world, and often invasive outside its native range.Lake Victoria Lake Victoria is one of the African Great Lakes. With a surface area of approximately , Lake Victoria is Africa's largest lake by area, the world's largest tropical lake, and the world's second-largest fresh water lake by surface area after ...
Environmental Management Project in partnership with Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.


Power Development and Trade

This program area focuses on investment planning and preparation of major investment projects such as a Transmission Interconnection project and the Regional
Rusumo Falls Rusumo Falls (french: Chutes Rusumo) is a waterfall located on the Kagera river on the border between Rwanda and Tanzania, part of the most distant headwaters of the river Nile. The falls are approximately high and wide and have formed on Precamb ...
Hydro-electric and Multi-purpose Project. This has involved carrying out preliminary feasibility studies and assessments. In December 2005 the six NELSAP Ministers responsible for Electricity Affairs adopted an Indicative Power Master Plan for the region. The plan includes a set of “best evaluated” power generation options and transmission interconnection projects for the next 20 years, including social and environmental concerns. The Regional
Rusumo Falls Rusumo Falls (french: Chutes Rusumo) is a waterfall located on the Kagera river on the border between Rwanda and Tanzania, part of the most distant headwaters of the river Nile. The falls are approximately high and wide and have formed on Precamb ...
Hydroelectric and Multipurpose Project on the Kagera River is expected to be a dam with an associated run-of-the river hydropower plant that is expected to benefit Burundi, Rwanda and Tanzania. The project was identified as one of the best power options through the above-mentioned NELSAP Assessment of Power Development Options. The hydroelectric power component would have an installed capacity of approximately 60-80 megawatts. It is estimated that approximately 3,000 people would need to be resettled around the hydropower plant facility. The NELSAP Transmission Interconnection feasibility studies include detailed design for four key transmission lines between Burundi, DRC, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, supported directly by the
African Development Bank The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) or (BAD) is a multilateral development finance institution headquartered in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, since September 2014. The AfDB is a financial provider to African governments and private companies ...
. The total cost of the regional transmission lines are about US$160 Million.


Funding

The Nile Basin Initiative is supported by contributions from the NBI countries themselves and through the support of international financial institutions – such as the
World Bank The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of low- and middle-income countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects. The World Bank is the collective name for the Inte ...
, the
Global Environmental Facility The Global Environment Facility (GEF) is a multilateral environmental fund that provides grants and blended finance for projects related to biodiversity, climate change, international waters, land degradation, persistent organic pollutants (POP ...
and the
African Development Bank The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) or (BAD) is a multilateral development finance institution headquartered in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, since September 2014. The AfDB is a financial provider to African governments and private companies ...
– and other donors. In 2003 a World Bank-managed, multi-donor trust fund created to harmonize donor contributions. Donors that contributed through the Nile Basin Trust Fund until early 2008 include Canada, Denmark, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Other donors to the NBI include Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Estonia, the EU and various UN agencies such as
UNDP The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)french: Programme des Nations unies pour le développement, PNUD is a United Nations agency tasked with helping countries eliminate poverty and achieve sustainable economic growth and human dev ...
and the
FAO The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)french: link=no, Organisation des Nations unies pour l'alimentation et l'agriculture; it, Organizzazione delle Nazioni Unite per l'Alimentazione e l'Agricoltura is an intern ...
. Until early 2008 donors have contributed over US$130 million of the original pledge of US$150 million. US$14.4 million has been contributed by the governments of the Nile Basin.


Initiative by upstream countries to form a Nile River Basin Commission

In May 2010 five upstream states signed an agreement to seek more water from the River Nile — a move strongly opposed by Egypt and Sudan. The Cooperative Framework Agreement (CFA), which had been negotiated for years under the framework of the NBI, was to be open for signature for a period of one year.NewsDire - Ethiopian News Servic
Ethiopia: Agreement on the Nile River Basin Cooperative Framework
16 May 2010
Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania signed the agreement; Ethiopia ratified it in 2013. The DR Congo is also expected to sign, while Egypt and Sudan are not expected to do so. An Egyptian government spokesman said in May 2010 that "Egypt will not join or sign any agreement that affects its share." The signing of the agreement had already been planned during a Ministerial meeting in 2007, but had been delayed at the request of Egypt. Upstream countries then decided at another Ministerial meeting in Kinshasa in May 2009 to sign the agreement without having all countries sign at the same time. However, the signing was delayed and at the next Council of Minister meeting in April 2010 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt again asked to defer the signing. The article on
water security Water security is the focused goal of water policy and water management. A society with a high level of water security makes the most of water's benefits for humans and ecosystems and limits the risk of destructive impacts associated with water. T ...
(Article 14b) has particularly drawn objections from Egypt and Sudan. The article says that member countries would work together to ensure "not to ''significantly'' affect the water security of any other Nile Basin State." Egypt and Sudan want the article to read "Not to adversely affect the water security and current uses and rights of any other Nile Basin States" without the qualification "significantly". A former Egyptian minister of water resources and irrigation, Mahmoud Abu-Zeid, sees the framework agreement as a positive beginning, saying that "everybody agreed to more than 95 percent of the articles". An article on the protection and conservation of the basin and its ecosystem - such as the
Sudd The Sudd (' or ', Dinka: Toc) is a vast swamp in South Sudan, formed by the White Nile's '' Baḥr al-Jabal'' section. The Arabic word ' is derived from ' (), meaning "barrier" or "obstruction". The term "the sudd" has come to refer to any lar ...
in Sudan - and an article requiring " prior informed consent" before building new dams had also been controversial during earlier negotiations.AllAfrica.co
Rift Widens as Egypt, Sudan Delay Signing Nile Basin Pact
23 February 2009
Representatives of upstream countries said they were "tired of first getting permission from Egypt before using river Nile water for any development project like irrigation", as required by a treaty signed during the colonial era between Egypt and Britain in 1929.Afrik.co

, 14 May 2010
The agreement does not include fixed water shares for each riparian country. The agreement, once effective, will transform the NBI into a permanent Nile River Basin Commission.


See also

*
Water politics in the Nile Basin As a body of water that crosses numerous international political borders, the Nile river is subject to multiple political interactions. Traditionally it is seen as the world's longest river flowing 6,700 kilometers through ten countries in northe ...
*
United Nations Convention on the Law of Non-Navigational Uses of International Watercourses The Convention on the Law of Non-Navigational Uses of International Watercourses, commonly referred to as the UN Watercourses Convention, is an international treaty, adopted by the United Nations on 21 May 1997, pertaining to the uses and conserva ...


References


External links


Nilebasin.org: The Nile Basin Initiative

Nilebasindiscourse.org: Nile Basin Discourse websiteWorldbank.org: Map of Eastern Nile Region

Worldbank.org: The Nile Basin Initiative presentation at World Bank Water Week
— ''(February 2009)''.
Worldbank.org: Sustaining Water for All in a Changing Climate (2010)
— ''special case study on water resources in Nigeria (pgs. 90-95)''. {{Authority control International organizations based in Africa River regulation in Burundi River regulation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo River regulation in Egypt River regulation in Eritrea River regulation in Ethiopia River regulation in Kenya River regulation in Rwanda River regulation in South Sudan River regulation in Sudan River regulation in Tanzania River regulation in Uganda Nile Water and politics Water in Africa