Lack of Inclusive Water Governance likely to pose severe challenges in the Nile Basin
TOP AFRICA NEWS has exclusively learnt that “Without tangible actions, the Nile Basin is likely to experience severe water insecurity due to lack of effective and inclusive water governance.”
By Ange de la Victoire DUSABEMUNGU
Experts affirm that there is a need for Participation and Inclusivity as Success Factors to Water Governance in the Nile Basin.
Speaking at the webinar as part of the sixth Nile Development Forum, Ayenew Tessera, the Regional Monitoring and Evaluation Officer at Nile Basin Discourse (NBD) said that “Scientists and researchers have found that lack of good Governance of Water resources are behind challenges leading to regional water insecurity”
He said “Water Governance in the Nile Basin faces technical, social, environmental, economic and political challenges manifested in food insecurity, climate hazards, shortage of Energy and Environmental degradation.”.
“We need inclusive Water Governance that involves every sector of the society at all works of life. We need researchers and academicians to generate new ideas, new concepts, new tools that are key in water governance” Ayenew added.
“We need Water resources communities to reflect ground realities. And we also need politicians for making right decisions, right choices. So, water Governance is not left to politicians, it is not only the business of researchers, it is not only the business of Water resources communities, it involves and concerns everyone else around.” So that is why we say, inclusive water Governance is key for proper water management.” He noted
The Basin which is currently facing the issue of water use among member countries will face more problems if no action is taken towards the Good governance of waters as shared resources.
The Nile Basin is made of 10 Nile Basin countries, namely Burundi, DR Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, The Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda while Eritrea participates as an observer.
The lack of proper governance of Water resources and the addition of the regional countries’ disputes, especially between Egypt and Ethiopia, are serious issues that need to be addressed early.
Ethiopia which has already built a disputed dam on the Nile River says it will continue to fill in water while Egypt and Sudan say it is instead causing them problems including reduction of waters for economic activities as downstream members.
The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam has been a source of tension in the Nile River basin ever since Ethiopia broke ground on it in 2011.
