After fifteen years on the ground, the Nile Basin Discourse (NBD) Network has evolved to a more dynamic role in Nile Basin development processes; and a partner for promoting Nile cooperation. The Nile Riparian States face a number of challenges such as the weak Nile cooperation, gender imbalance, climate change, food crises, rapid population growth and urbanization, weak regional integration, and slow transition into a green economy. Taking cognizance of these persisting challenges, NBD is planting and nurturing the idea of a biennial collective discourse on emerging issues, best practices, and experiences that could tone down challenges of a River Basin. Therefore, this 2017, NBD is launching the first of its kind, the Nile Basin Discourse Summit (NBDS).
The objective is “to inclusively discourse on emerging issues, practices and experiences of cooperation and development of River Basin countries.” The NBDS is expected to discourse, arriving at constructive decisions for vertical information to policy making and grassroots communities in addition to arriving at horizontal information on the trans-boundary element.
The NBDS (2017) theme entails three sub-themes that lean on the pillars and strategic directions of empowerment through participation. The three sub-themes call for discussions on cooperation for sustainable development, knowledge exchange and water governance, and innovations. The Summit is to be held from the 29th to the 30th of November 2017 at Entebbe – Uganda.
This sub-theme opens dialogue on enhancement of the all-level, all-inclusive “hands-on” trans-boundary cooperation; collaborative assessment of solutions, experiences and best practices in a river basin; shared water for social and economic development; fast-tracking of actions towards the transformative agenda 2030/SDGs goals; etc.
Knowledge exchange and water governance sub-theme aims at exchange of ideas on the policy advocacy, accountability and partnerships in water governance; inclusivity and mainstreaming gender, young and special groups in a river basin; a discourse on climate change on poverty, the adaptation and climate risk management; efforts towards water, food and energy security; etc.
Capacity building and awareness raising sub-theme is a pointer to discussions on the knowledge, evidence-base for decision making, and data sharing approaches; systematic efforts to changing power relations; attitudes and beliefs to sharing resources, their costs and benefits inclusivity through learning; innovative ideas; outreach and media; etc.
Burundi National Discourse Forum
D.R. Congo National Discourse Forum
Egypt National Discourse Forum
Eritrea National Discourse Forum
Ethiopia National Discourse Forum
Kenya National Discourse Forum
Rwanda National Discourse Forum
South Sudan National Discourse Forum
Sudan National Discourse Forum
Tanzania National Discourse Forum
Uganda National Discourse Forum
The Nile Basin Initiative (NBI)
The Eastern Nile Technical Regional Office (ENTRO)
The Nile Equatorial Lakes Coordination Unit (NELCU)
The Inter Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD)
The Global Water Partnership – Eastern Africa (GWP – EA)
The Women for Water Partnership – (WFWP)
The Climate is Water Group (#CIW)
The Butterfly Effect Group (BE)
Cooperation on International Waters Africa/World Bank (CIWA / World Bank)
I was happy to be a keynote speaker at this inaugural summit. The process was wonderful. I hope my input into the process opened new portals towards integrative and inclusive development in the Nile Basin. I was disappointed that the political, policy and bureaucratic elite and transnational elite - the key players in Nile Basin development - were largely absent. However, when NBD publishes the outcomes of the Summit process, these elite will definitely access the publication and find it useful. Let the following Summit have fewer papers and more discussions onthe floor.
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The Nile Basin Discourse
Plot 32, Nsamizi Rd, Entebbe
P. O. Box 185, Entebbe – Uganda
Tel: +256414322432
Fax: +256414323930
E-mail: media@nilebasindiscourse.org
Website: www.nilebasindiscourse.org
