The Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) was formally launched in February 1999 by the Ministers of Water Affairs of the 10 countries that share the Nile River: Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. Together, these ministers make up the Nile Basin Council of Ministers (Nile-COM).
The NBI provides a framework through which its member states can cooperatively develop the resources of the Nile Basin to fight poverty and promote socio-economic development in the region.
The Nile River is one of the world’s greatest assets. Throughout history, the Nile has served as the source of nourishment and livelihoods, with an array of ecosystems and a rich diversity of cultures. The Nile Basin encompasses an area of 3 million square kilometers – one-tenth of the landmass of the African Continent – and the countries of the Nile are home to approximately 300 million people.
Despite the Basin’s natural endowments, the countries of the Nile Basin face considerable challenges, including high levels of poverty, rapid population growth, lack of access to basic services, an energy crisis, and severe environmental degradation. Four of the Nile Basin states are among the world’s 10 poorest countries.
But through joint management and development of the Nile Basin’s resources—which the NBI is designed to make possible—the Nile has the potential to catalyze sustainable economic growth for all 10 countries with benefits far beyond those that can be derived from the river itself.
For more information about the Nile Basin Initiative, please visit NBI's official website at www.nilebasin.org.
|
RSS