Integrated management of the blue nile basin in ethiopia. The book provides a comprehensive overview of the hydrology of the nile river, especially the ecohydrological degradation and challenges the basin is facing, the impact of climate change on water availability and the transboundary water management issues. Maps nile basin intitative nbi nile basin initiative. Limits to population growth and water resource adequacy in the nile river basin, 19942100 page i abstract the purpose of this study is to examine the potential limits to growth among selected countries within the nile river basin region based on actual and projected estimates of population growth and water resource. The water resources in the nile basins have also served as economic, political, social and cultural achievements of egypts influence in the sub region1. The nile basin is the largest international river system in the world. Water, agriculture, governance and livelihoods find, read and. The core nile waters agreements signed by egypt and britain and egypt and sudan in 1929 and 1959, respectively allocate a. The nile basin and its challenges efforts towards cooperation establishment of nbi and key mandates nbi programs and associated benefits realizing the benefits. The nile basin cooperative framework agreement negotiations. Other articles where nile river basin is discussed. Blue nile makes about 80% by volume of the great nile river.
The effective and efficient management of water is a major problem, not just for economic growth and development in the nile river basin, but also for the peaceful coexistence of the millions of pe. The niger basin is the largest river basin of western africa. This is the main river basin contributing to the nile and a source of water for. However, apart from the big rivers and major tributaries, there is hardly any perennial flow in areas below 1,500 m. The nile river basin is one of the worlds most famous river basins. Furthermore, the state of the river nile basin report 2012, which consolidates scientific findingson climate change impact in the nile region, has informed the development of this strategy. The hegemony over the nile waters has been under these countries, thus building tensions among the riparian countries. Introduction groundwater has always been essential for human survival throughout africa, and this is. Water experts believe there is not enough water in the river to meet the various irrigation goals of the nile basin nations. Population distribution in nile basin countries the spatial distribution of population in the basin is influenced by a number of factors among which are climate, rainfall, soil fertility, mineral resources, and social and economic infrastructure transport, education, health, telecommunications, and hospitality sector facilities. Nbi role in facing energy security challenges in the nile. The water resources of the nile basin state of the river. N water resources 27 the nile basin the term basin refers to the geographical area drained by a river or lake.
The nile river basin is located in the water scarce aridsemiarid region of the african continent, where eleven riparian countries struggle to satisfy their own water requirements. While the countrys annual renewable freshwater potential is 122 billion m3, only 3 percent of this. While this last demand on the resource is of particular importance to the okavango, environmental flows are far nicol 170 171 the dynamics of river basin cooperation table 1 comparison between the nile and okavango rivers river length size basin average annual riparian. The geopolitics of water in the nile river basin global. Agreement on the nile river basin cooperative framework. Ethiopia has nine major rivers and twelve big lakes. The nile the worlds longest river runs through 10 countries, four of which are water scarce. Population distribution in nile basin countries nile basin. The nile basin 2012 basin boundary the nbi is not an authority on international boundaries. The uncertainty around the future development of the nile river regime is rooted in several factors physically and politically affecting the opportunities for basin wide cooperative agreements and efficient integrated water management. From conflict to cooperation in the nile basin the web site cannot. The article communicates why several african nations are in conflict regarding the use of the nile river as a water source. The nrb, located in the region of north east africa, is an international river shared by 11 riparian countries map 1.
Nile basin water resources atlas 3 foreword esteemed reader, the nile basin is one of the few basins of the world that has given birth to early human civilization. Pdf on jan 1, 2012, seleshi bekele awulachew and others published the nile river basin. Read the article carefully and complete the reading for comprehension questions. There is a fascination about the nile river which has captured human imagination throughout history. The blue nile from ethiopia originating form lake tana and the white nile that originated form lake victoria merge into the great nile river at khartoum, the sudan capital to form the longest river of the world draining to the mediterranean sea. The egyptians practiced basin irrigation, a form of water management adapted to the natural rise and fall of the nile river. Motivated by the desire to strengthen their cooperation in relation to the nile. International experts supported the process, bringing in state of the art analysis and knowledge on the.
Pdf the economy of ethiopia mainly depends on agriculture, and this in turn largely depends on available water resources. Compared to other major rivers, though, the nile carries little water 5% of the congos river, for example. Therefore, managing and sharing nile water in an equitable manner is a complex matter, especially with respect to the existing. Nile basin initiative turned 20 years of existence on february 22, 2019. Opportunities and challenges of the growing nile population. Hydropolitical background of the nile river basin the issue of hydropolitics1 symbolises the most complex relations and interactions between states that share river basins. The nile basin is complex, and because of this, the discharge at any given point along the mainstem depends on many factors including weather, diversions, evaporation and evapotranspiration, and groundwater flow. The first theory is that the lower nile had its source at about latitude 20 n, whence it flowed directly into the sea, while the upper nile, issuing from lake victoria, flowed into an inland lake. The uncertainty around the future development of the nile river regime is rooted in several factors physically and politically affecting the opportunities for basinwide cooperative agreements and efficient integrated water management. Therefore, managing and sharing nile water in an equitable manner is a complex matter, especially with respect to the existing power balance in the region. Perspectives of the grand ethiopian renaissance dam gerd yohannes yihdego. The use of the nile river has for centuries been monopolized by the lower riparian countries that claim historic right over the waters.
The nile river basin international water management institute. The drainage basin of the nile covers 3,254,555 square kilometres 1,256,591 sq mi, about 10% of the area of africa. The nile river flows through eleven countries burundi, drcongo, egypt, ethiopia, eritrea, kenya, rwanda, south sudan,sudan. The nile basin initiative nbi is a partnership among the nile riparian states that seeks to develop the river in a cooperative manner, share substantial socioeconomic benefits, and promote regional peace and security.
The rivers regime is now controlled by a series of dams situated on the nile itself or on one of its various tributaries. The nile basin is complex, and because of this, the discharge at any given point along the mainstem depends on many. Egyptian civilization has sustained itself utilizing water management and agriculture for some 5,000 years in the nile river valley. Typically, during julyoctober about 80% of the nile river total stream flow at aswan, egypt coming from the blue nile abbay river elsanabary and gan, 20. Anchored in a shared vision to achieve sustainable socioeconomic development through the equitable. The nile basin covers an area of around 3 million km 2, or nearly 10% of the landmass of the african continent, and is home to 160 million people. Most nile countries have strategic plans to regulate and manage groundwater resources but, so far, these largely remain on paper, and have not been implemented. The nile river basin the 6850km long nile is the worlds longest river, and flows from south to north with a catchment basin covering ap. The case of ethiopia, egypt, and sudan anwar hassen tsega introduction water politics has come to be one of the central themes of debate and concern among different academic, political and economic domains in the globalized world. The climate in the blue nile river basin varies greatly between its inception in the highlands of ethiopia and its confluence with the white nile river. Agreement on the nile river basin cooperative framework preamble the states of the nile river basin, af. The nile river basin comprises of ten countries namely, burundi, democratic republic of congo, egypt, eritrea, ethiopia, kenya, rwanda, sudan, tanzania, and uganda. The restive nile basin which has long been identified as a flashpoint prone to conflict embarked. In recognition of this, the nile council of ministers declared 2019 the year of the nile basin, with the motto putting water at the heart of regional transformation.
Ana elisa cascao department of geography, kings college of london, united kingdom. The nile river basin has survived centuries, and for many years has served as egypts economic hub, political power and growth since ancient times. Some five thousand years ago a great civilisation emerged depending on the river and its annual flooding cycle. While the 1929 agreement has been quite influential in the management of the nile river basin, todays governance of the nile river basin was set by the 1959 agreement between sudan and egypt. During the reporting period, the nile basin initiative turned 20 years of existence on february 22, 2019. Upper blue nile basin ubnb is located in the ethiopian highlands, which is the most important subbasin of the nile. In egypt and sudan, population is largely concentrated along the course of the river nile. He has particular knowledge of using scenario thinking to support strategy formulation for natural resources management, and to facilitate dialogue processes regarding complex water allocation challenges. Since around 3000 bce, the egyptians constructed earthen banks to form flood basins of. Effects of climate change on water resources in the upper blue nile. Limits to population growth and water resource adequacy in the nile river basin, 19942100 page i abstract the purpose of this study is to examine the potential limits to growth among selected countries within the nile river basin region based on actual and projected estimates of. The aim of this article is to identify where and how power relations in the nile river basin have. Within the nile river basin, the governance of nile water resources has come to rely on an increasingly outdated coloniallyimposed treaty regime. Lake tana, for example, in the north is the source of the blue nile.
Lake tana sits at 1830 meters above sea level with an annual average precipitation of nearly mm and evaporation rates of 1150 mm per year. Hydropolitics and regional stability in the nile basin. As stated in mackinder theory, controlling a heartland of certain geography is very significant in exercising the ultimate command afterward. This is in part because the definition of international water course was. It was formally launched in february 1999 by the water ministers of 9 countries that share the river egypt, sudan, ethiopia, uganda, kenya, tanzania, burundi, rwanda.
Countries in the nile river basin need to adapt to climate change in water management without delay. The drainage basin of the nile covers 3,254,555 square kilometers 1,256,591 sq mi, about 10% of the area of africa. As stated in mackinder theory, controlling a heartland of certain geography is very significant in exercising the ultimate command afterward ronald, 1998. The nile countries have a combined population of 437 million, 54 per cent of which 238 million resides in the nile basin. The future of transboundary water disputes over the worlds longest river jack di nunzio research assistant colonial agreements.
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