NILE BASIN INITIATIVE

Claire Stodola

UNH ‘11, Environmental Conservation Studies

April 29, 2011

Research Question

How has the Nile Basin Initiative influenced the riparian states’ management of the Nile River resources?

Outline of Presentation

Background on the Nile River Basin region

History of Cooperation

Overview of Nile Basin Initiative (NBI)

Achievements

Challenges and Current Events

Printing, Graphics, and Map Design Unit, The World Bank

Challenges

• Poverty

• Climatic variation

• Population growth

• Climate Change

Upstream states• Low water needs

Downstream states• High water needs

Historical Context

1902 – First international cooperation on the Nile

1929 – Permission required for upstream states

1959 – Still only BILATERAL

1960s to 1990s - Increasing frustration by upstream states

What is the Nile Basin Initiative?

“to achieve sustainable socio-economic development through the equitable utilization

of, & benefit from, the common Nile Basin water resources”

Is the NBI making a difference?

Gathering and sharing of information

Collaboration with other groups

Encouragement of civil society

Challenges and Criticisms

Multiple objectives

Decision-makers of NBI ≠ Decision-makers of member states

Increasing tension between Egypt and upstream states

Current Status

Cooperative Framework Agreement

Egypt in transition

Sudan - split into two states

“As the citizens of these countries demand fairness from their rulers, let them extend the

same to their neighbors.”

-Editorial, Business Daily

Sources

Bhat, Kiran. “Dwinding Oasis: Egypt’s Water Politics.” Harvard International Review Spring 2007: 13. Print.

Howell, P. P. and J. A. Allan. The Nile – Sharing a Scarce Resource: A historical and technical review of water management and of economic and legal issues. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994. Print.

Kung, Ruedi. “Addressing the Dimensions of Transboundary Water Use: The Nile Basin Initiative.” Mountain Research and Development 23.1 (2003): 4-6. JSTOR. Web. 2 Oct. 2010.

Metawei, Abdel F. “History of Co-operation in the Nile Basin.” International Journal of Water Resources Development. 20.1 (2004): 47-63. EBSCOhost. Web. 3 Oct. 2010.

Nile Basin Initiative. Nile Basin Initiative. Web. 24 Sept. 2010. <http://www.nilebasin.org/>. Sadoff, Claudia W. and David Grey. “Beyond the river: the benefits of cooperation on international

rivers.” Water Policy 4 (2002): 389-403.

Swain, Ashok. “Mission Not Yet Accomplished: Managing Water Resources in the Nile River Basin.” Journal of International Affairs. 61.2 (2008): 201-14.

Teshome, Wondwosen B. “Transboundary Water Cooperation in Africa: The Case of the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI).” Alternatives: Turkish Journal of International Relations 7.4 (2008): 34-43. EBSCOhost. Web. 1 Oct. 2010.

Thompkins, Gwen. Ethiopia Claims High Ground in Right-To-Nile Debate. NPR. 19 Sept. 2010. Web. 24 Sept. 2010. <http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130050352&ps=rs>.

Waterbury, John. The Nile Basin: National Determinants of Collective Action. Yale University Press, 2002. Print.

The World Bank and NBI. The World Bank. Web. 30 Nov. 2010 <http://go.worldbank.org/C25RHXSYG0>.