Support to Hydro-diplomacy in the Nile Basin

Context

Covering 10 per cent of Africa’s surface area, the Nile Basin is home to a significant number of its population. The demand for water in this region is constantly increasing due to economic development and population growth. Being a water-scarce basin with intensive usage, water availability is expected to decline further owing to shifts in land use and the effects of global climate change. Consequently, the Nile region remains at risk of conflict without a lasting intergovernmental water agreement for the basin.

Currently, political dialogue in the region focuses around two major themes: setting up an institution that will coordinate cooperation in the region (Nile River Basin Commission and Cooperative Framework Agreement) and the Eastern Nile process around cooperation and dam development.

Objective

The Nile riparian states have reached a political agreement to manage the basin’s water resources responsibly and collaboratively.

Approach

The project aims to support the ongoing political track and negotiation processes regarding Nile waters. Specifically, it seeks to:

• support political dialogue and negotiation processes among riparian states and strengthen the capacities of key actors to effectively assume their role in these processes;
• support non-state actors in generating ideas for a future agenda.
• promote factual and constructive media coverage on Nile disputes.

Last update: December 2023