Climate Change Inititiative Looks to Forge Cooperative Approach for the Nile Basin

The theme is in recognition of the current global climate change, its potential impacts in the Nile Basin and the necessity to adapt to expected conditions including loss of species and ecosystems, desertification, droughts, floods, reduced River flow and high temperatures.

Participants will discuss the impacts of Climate Change on the Nile waters, related natural resources and on socio-economic development in the Nile Basin region; opportunities for trans-boundary cooperation and benefits from integrated water resources planning for adaptation under a changing climate; governance issues for climate change adaptation; challenges and potentials for financing adaptation; and opportunities for food and energy security under a changing climate in the Nile Basin.

Outcomes from the three day forum will include a Ministerial Declaration and a Policy Statement. The 3rd NBDF will also promote a sense of collective responsibility and custodianship regarding the Nile, as well as promote on-going efforts by the Nile Basin Countries to face the challenges of Climate Change.

The NBDF is a regular event that, starting from 2006, is held after every two years. This year’s Forum, the third in a series, is organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Natural Resources of Rwanda.

During this year’s Forum, NBI will take the opportunity to launch some of its key products recently finalized and approved by its Governing Board. These include the second release of the Nile-Decision Support System (Nile-DSS). The latter is a world class analytical tool for NBI Member States and NBI as an institution that supports rational decisions and promotes sustainable outcomes. It provides a trans-boundary framework for sharing knowledge, understanding river system behavior, as well as designing and evaluating alternative development scenarios, investment projects, and management strategies.

The first ever River Nile State of Basin report, which is currently under preparation, will be introduced. Among other things, this report provides access to accurate, credible and timely information to help in raising awareness and increasing understanding and appreciation about the natural environment, the people, communities and economic development of the basin.

The NBI has recently produced the Nile Basin Sustainability Framework. This is a suite of policies, strategies and guidelines through which the NBI will ensure that its activities are sustainable. It will also be used ensure that the development and management of the Nile Basin water resources undertaken by NBI Member States with facilitation of the NBI are in accordance with the principles of integrated water resources.

The Nile Information System (Nile-IS) is a web-based knowledge management tool that allows for easy storage, searching, organizing, retrieval, analyzing as well as disseminating and exchanging information collected from NBI programs and projects.

A number of FAO-Nile Information Products prepared between 1996 and 2008 will be released. These products are ‘policy neutral’ instruments for examining a linked future between the land and water in the Nile Basin– and exploring the issues related to the people that depend on the continued access to land and cycle of nutrients and water. They are tools for understanding the impacts of rising demand for food and water against a variable hydrological regime.

Note to the Editor:

The Nile Basin Development Forum is a continuation of the Nile 2002 conferences and came into being as a result of the need to continue dialogue among stakeholders on Nile Basin immerging issues and needs, challenges and opportunities.

The Regional Nile Basin Development Forum (NBDF) aims at fostering the emergence of Nile Basin knowledge communities and exchange of experiences and understanding between diverse categories of stakeholders on Nile Basin issues and challenges.

The first Forum was held in Addis Ababa in 2006 under the theme “The role of the River Nile in Poverty Reduction and Economic Development”. The 2nd Forum took place in 2008 in Khartoum on the theme: “Environment and Water resources management for peace and cooperation in the Nile Basin”.