Regional Technical Cooperation on Water The Nile Basin Case ByA.M.Farahat Prof. INP, Cairo, Egypt Arab Water Council Representative 2 nd IIWF Middle East Region SFM May 4 th, 2011

THE NILE BASIN

REGIONAL TECHNICAL COOPERATION IN WATER The Nile Basin Case CONTENTS(Milestones)  Early Attempts  Nile Basin Initiative  Joint Multipurpose Program  Institutional Strengthening Project  Cooperative Framework Agreement  Epilogue

REGIONAL TECHNICAL COOPERATION IN WATER The Nile Basin Case EARLY ATTEMPTS  HYDROMET  1992 – 1998TECCONILE  1999 to dateNile Basin Initiative

REGIONAL TECHNICAL COOPERATION IN WATER The Nile Basin Case NILE BASIN INITIATIVE, (NBI) 1999 to date Shared Vision To achieve sustainable socio-economic development through equitable utilization of, and benefit from, the common Nile water resource

REGIONAL TECHNICAL COOPERATION IN WATER The Nile Basin Case NILE BASIN INITIATIVE, (NBI) 1999 to date  Structure  Shared Vision Program  Investment-oriented Strategic Action Program in the Eastern Nile Sub- BasinEN-SAP  Investment-oriented Strategic Action Program in the Nile Equatorial Lakes Sub-BasinNEL-SAP  Principles  Win-win  No Harm  Building Trust

REGIONAL TECHNICAL COOPERATION IN WATER The Nile Basin Case NILE BASIN INITIATIVE, (NBI) 1999 to date Shared Vision Program  A Thematic Program  Its main objective is to build trust among NB countries and involve stakeholders  Intended to identify projects for the two other investment programs  Supposed to develop a Benefits Sharing Framework (BSF)

REGIONAL TECHNICAL COOPERATION IN WATER The Nile Basin Case JOINT MULTIPURPOSE PROGRAM (JMP) 2005 to date Mandate …to ”identify and prepare a major initial project, within a broader multipurpose program, to demonstrate the benefits of a cooperative approach to the management and development of the Eastern Nile”

REGIONAL TECHNICAL COOPERATION IN WATER The Nile Basin Case JOINT MULTIPURPOSE PROGRAM (JMP) 2005 to date Anchor/Power Trade  Dam and Reservoir  Hydro-power generation and transmission  Power Trade

REGIONAL TECHNICAL COOPERATION ON WATER The Nile Basin Case Joint Multipurpose Program (JMP)  Main Nile Sub-Basin  Tekeze -Setit- Atbara  Blue Nile (Abbay)  Baro – Akobo - Sobat

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Karadobi Mandaya Border Beko Abo

REGIONAL TECHNICAL COOPERATION IN WATER The Nile Basin Case JOINT MULTIPURPOSE PROGRAM (JMP) 2005 to date The Water Security Issue Water is a National Security issue for Egypt Water is a National Security issue for Egypt It depends on Nile waters for 97% of its needs. DRC dependency on the Nile is 0% It depends on Nile waters for 97% of its needs. DRC dependency on the Nile is 0%

REGIONAL TECHNICAL COOPERATION IN WATER The Nile Basin Case JOINT MULTIPURPOSE PROGRAM (JMP) 2005 to date Strategic Social Environmental Assessment Its objective is to provide information and facilitate communication among stakeholders including governments through a consultant in such a way to assist them to make informative decisions. This role is brone to a catalyst rather than professional providing conclusive answers to the problems at hand.

REGIONAL TECHNICAL COOPERATION IN WATER The Nile Basin Case JOINT MULTIPURPOSE PROGRAM (JMP) 2005 to date Strategic Social Environmental Assessment Stage 1: Stage 1: to establish a “baseline” i.e current situation or no JMP1 Stage 2: Stage 2: Against this baseline to strategically assess two main “Development Alternatives”; namely: Many small dams on the Abbay tributaries, and Many small dams on the Abbay tributaries, and One (or more) major multi-purpose dams on the Abbay One (or more) major multi-purpose dams on the Abbay

REGIONAL TECHNICAL COOPERATION IN WATER The Nile Basin Case INSTITUTIONAL STRENGTHENING PROJECT(ISP) 2010 – 2012 Towards a Nile Basin Commission Is a critical part of an ongoing process to build up, boost and fortify the Nile Basin Initiative to be in position to meet the challenges that it is currently facing, as well as challenges it is likely to face in the future. Is a critical part of an ongoing process to build up, boost and fortify the Nile Basin Initiative to be in position to meet the challenges that it is currently facing, as well as challenges it is likely to face in the future. 3-year duration year duration Became ready in October 2009 Became ready in October 2009 funded by the riparian governments and donors funded by the riparian governments and donors

REGIONAL TECHNICAL COOPERATION IN WATER The Nile Basin Case COOPERATIVE FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT (CFA) Has three aspects: Legal aspects Legal aspects Institutional aspects Institutional aspects Information exchange aspects Information exchange aspects All aspects are agreed upon except three points that are disputed

REGIONAL TECHNICAL COOPERATION IN WATER The Nile Basin Case COOPERATIVE FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT (CFA) Current Dispute  Egypt’s share of the Nile Water  Prior notification  Agreements by majority not consensus. Majority including downstream countries namely, Sudan and Egypt

REGIONAL TECHNICAL COOPERATION IN WATER The Nile Basin Case EPILOGUE Positive aspects  Considerable progress made  Governance structure established  Knowledge base built  Tangible benefits delivered to investment programs  A NB Sustainability Framework was developed.

REGIONAL TECHNICAL COOPERATION IN WATER The Nile Basin Case EPILOGUE Personal Views NBI is very well engineered and professionally prudent NBI is very well engineered and professionally prudent However, the devil is as usual in the details However, the devil is as usual in the details Water resources is abundant. It is not a zero-sum game Water resources is abundant. It is not a zero-sum game 1600 BCM annually. 96% are wasted 1600 BCM annually. 96% are wasted It is a water management problem It is a water management problem

THANK YOU