More than 230 million people live within the Nile Basin and expect benefits from management and utilization of its shared water resources. Despite the basin’s natural endowment, and opportunities to induce growth, its people face many challenges including water scarcity, deteriorating water quality, lack of access to electricity, climate change and wetland degradation.
Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, DRC, South Sudan and Burundi in May 2010 signed an agreement in the Nile Basin Initiative to
- Increase hydro power production
- Access to water for domestic use
- Improve management water sheds,
- Reduce environmental degradation among others.
However, Egypt and Northern Sudan have since then failed to sign the treaty, with reservations
This has however not affected the works going on in the region.
The NBI is a platform through which the member countries meet to discuss the cooperative management of common Nile Basin water resources. This year’s Regional Nile Day celebrations will be held in Jinja district due to its reference as a home to the source of the Nile and the Bujagali hydro power dam.
IMMACULATE N. KYATEREKERA
