THE IMPACT OF NILE BASIN DISCOURSE (NBD) IN THE NILE WATER CONUNDRUM, 2003 to 2018

Abstract

Water is not only essential for animal and human existence but also for the sustenance of the ecosystem. In Africa, this precious resource availability is reducing globally and eventually led to the individual, group and national manipulation of water to attain multi-dimensional interests leading to water conflicts amongst nations. The River Nile basin being one of the largest rivers in Africa offers tremendous opportunities for development of its riparian states, in terms of hydropower, food production etc. Water conflicts in this basin is identifiable among its riparian
states and consequently need some diplomatic interventions in solving them. This paper is based largely on interviews conducted in 2017 in the Nile Basin Initiative Secretariat at Entebbe, Uganda. A qualitative method of data analyses using interview which are supplemented with readings of reports and findings of other research on the subject to source for data on the roles of the Nile Basin Discourse (NBD) in fostering cooperation among the river Nile riparian states. This paper reveals that a Civil Society Organization (CSOs) like the Nile Basin Discourse
(NBD) has helped bridge this gap and forge a regional approach as well as critical for bringing the perspectives of communities towards achieving water cooperation among the river Nile riparian states. The paper concludes that the Nile basin Discourse (NBD) has successfully improved integration of civil society and community level voices into the design, implementation, and monitoring of Nile Basin activities and policy. To this end, this paper calls on Riparian States with similar situation to adopt the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) framework/strategy in dealing with regional water conflict like that of the Nile Basin Discourse (NBD).