Nile Basin Initiative

The Nile Basin - a Unique and Shared Resource

The Nile is one of the world's great rivers. Throughout history, this unique waterway has nourished livelihoods, supported a vast array of ecosystems, and played a central role in a rich diversity of cultures. As the world's longest river, the Nile traverses almost 6,700 kilometers from its farthest sources at the headwaters of the Kagera River in Burundi and Rwanda to its delta in Egypt on the Mediterranean Sea.

Ten countries share the Nile - Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. The Nile River Basin serves as home to an estimated 160 million people within the boundaries of the Basin, while almost twice that number, roughly 300 million live within the ten countries that share the Nile waters. Its ecological system is unique, hosting a number of varied landscapes, with high mountains, tropical forests, woodlands, lakes, savannas, wetlands, arid lands, and deserts.

Challenges and Opportunities

Despite the extraordinary natural endowments and rich cultural history of the Nile Basin, its people face considerable challenges. Today, the Basin is characterized by poverty, instability, rapid population growth, environmental degradation and frequent natural disasters. Some of the countries are among the world's poorest with annual per capita income of less than $250.

Population is expected to double within the next 25 years, placing additional strain on scarce water and other natural resources. Yet, cooperative development of the River Nile's resources holds significant opportunities for maximizing benefits from the river's resources. Win-win solutions could enhance energy availability, food production, transportation, industrial development, environmental conservation and other related development activities in the region.

Towards a Long-Term Legal and Institutional Framework

Aware that sustained Nile cooperation requires a development focus, a permanent institution, and agreement on core legal principles, the Nile riparians established a forum for a process of legal and institutional dialogue in 1997, with UNDP support. With three-person teams from each country (typically senior government lawyers and water resource specialists) a 'Panel of Experts' (POE) produced the draft text of a 'Cooperative Framework' in early 2000. The draft framework has moved the riparians a long way and important compromises have been reached. However, some key issues remain to be resolved, and the Council of Ministers agreed in August 2000 to extend the dialogue process to seek further agreement on the outstanding issues. UNDP has pledged its continued support to the process, which by its nature requires time and effort.