News

Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LBVC) and GWP Eastern Africa discussed strategic areas of cooperation as the two institutions share a lot in water resources management in Eastern Africa region.

“Media is our strategic partner—without it, we expect low levels of awareness, and slow change in water unfriendly practices and policies-” 

Over 35 participants from Private Sector across the 11 countries of the Nile Basin Countries consensually that—“Climate Change Adaptation is no longer optional but essential for sustainable livelihoods in Nile Basin Countries.”

The complex river basin system of the Nile basin is one of the most important ecosystems in Africa, hosting around 40% of the population. The nine countries of the Nile river basin share not only the world’s longest river, but also the challenges arising from climate change, such as land degradation, floods, reduced river flow, and droughts.

The nine countries sharing the Nile Basin may have specific variations in cultures, policies, and institutional frameworks, but climate change continues to be a cross-cutting factor impacting their socio-economic livelihoods – whether agriculture, energy production, mining safety, or water quantity and quality.

Public institutions, Civil Society Organizations, Academia, Media and other national stakeholders from Water Sector, Agriculture and Energy discussed about key priority water issues that need to be incorporated in the next development agenda termed as Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs).

The 2nd High-Level Regional Policy Workshop focusing on “Adapting to Climate Change Induced Water Stress in Nile River Basin,” resolved to bridge the gap between science and policy, enhance the efforts of generating and sharing knowledge about climate change and conducting hotspot analysis at country level. 

Local ownership and information are keys to success in water resources management. A project in the Cyohoha water catchment, shared between Rwanda and Burundi, shows that IWRM works in a region which suffered from disastrous conflicts only twenty years go.

Team Experts from Rwanda and Burundi discussed water and climate adaptation and resilience issues in the drier Nile Basin, specifically around Lake Cyohaha trans-boundary water of Bugesera region for the two East African countries.

As a co-organizer of the East Africa Young Water Professionals Conference held in Rwanda’s capital Kigali, December, 2012, GWP Eastern Africa contributed to the adoption of Water Declaration directed to government decision-makers in East Africa and beyond.