Why Regional Cooperation on the Nile Is a Good Idea  The  Nile Basin has many development needs in several critical sectors that are central to poverty alleviation and economic growth. These sectors include power, irrigation, rural incomes, catchment and floodplain management, access to basic services, trade, and transport.  In an interlinked basin such as the Nile, it is often the case that unilateral pursuit of development in a country is either dependent on, or influenced by, development choices in other countries. Regional cooperation is essential to unlock the true potential of the Nilel Basin both in terms of realizing the benefits of development opportunities and better managing evolving risks.  There are many development opportunities in the Basin. Hydropower resources are very significant – both at a local and regional level – to power the engine of Nile growth. Strategic irrigated and rainfed agriculture development can transform this region while well-managed watersheds can improve widely distributed local livelihoods as well as reduce erosion. Valuable environmental assets can be well-managed.  Regional approaches can help generate new or improved benefits on the Nile that could not be possible with unilateral action. For example, watershed management upstream can reduce sedimentation of infrastructure in a downstream country, and, in the process, improve performance and extend the life of that investment.  There are also many evolving risks in the Basin. Rapid population growth threatens to undercut many of the gains made in the Basin. Climate change could exacerbate the affects of the impacts of high climate variability already felt in the system. Unilateral development by all NBI countries to cater to their growing populations further threatens the resource base and sensitive critical ecosystems, and narrows the scope of cooperation by foreclosing development options.  Addressing these risks effectively requires timely regional cooperation for effective and cooperative management in times of stress such as floods and droughts. It also requires that NBI countries take a basinwide perspective to reduce system losses and improve productivity.  There are also real peace dividends from cooperation. The economies of the NBI countries could be intertwined, reducing the potential for conflict. This peace dividend would spur growth and investments, and generate cooperation in sectors beyond water such as transport, trade, and tourism.  Stakeholders across the basin can interact better and further strengthen the system inter-linkages. Good international practices on technical, environmental, social, economic, financial, and institutional aspects would take root faster as the region leapfrogs traditional development paradigms.  Overall, regional cooperation on the Nile can help reshape the future history of the Basin and offer an alternative to unilateral development, thereby providing food, energy and water security in a cooperative manner.  For more information, please refer to The World Bank, the NBI and Regional Development.  |
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