This NBI Strategy is a 10-year multilateral document covering the period 2017 - 2027 and aiming at answering 3 main questions concerning the Nile Basin Initiative mandate, namely (i) challenges to be addressed by NBI over the next 10 years; (ii) contributions made by NBI in addressing these challenges; (iii) how the NBI as an institution should position itself to effectively discharge its mandate that is to achieve the shared Vision of sustainable socio-economic development through the equitable utilization of, and benefit from the shared Nile Basin water resources. The Strategy identifies the following 6 strategic priorities (1) water security; (2) energy security; (3) food security; (4) environmental sustainability; (5) climate change adaptation; (6) good transboundary water governance. To improve the agricultural production, the Strategy aims at (i) enhancing efficient agricultural water use; (ii) supporting the development and modernization of irrigated agriculture; (iii) rehabilitating watersheds and improving of rainfed agriculture; (iv) improving fisheries and aquaculture production. To meet the food security needs, the document suggests promoting a basin approach to irrigated agriculture and supporting member states to ensure that their irrigation plans are regionally optimized and fit within the available water resources in the basin to address the linkages between water and food security. The protection of the environment shall be promoted by (i) enhancing water storage capacity; (ii) enhancing coordinated management of water storage dams; (iii) strengthening joint monitoring of the Nile Basin; (iv) protecting, restoring, and promoting sustainable use of water-related ecosystems across the basin, in particular through the sustainable management of wetlands, the maintenance of the lake and riverine ecosystems, and the protection and sustainable management of critical water source catchments; and (v) improving the basin resilience to climate change impacts. To enhance inclusive social and economic growth, high attention will be given to (i) the sustainable use of the shared water to meet each other’s demand; (ii) preparation and management of basin investment programs; (iii) water quality; (iv) hydropower development in the basin and increasing of the interconnectivity of electric grids and power trade; (v) better navigability to boost regional agricultural trade and transport corridors. Essential is considered strengthened water governance in the Nile Basin, and to this end the document envisages (i) facilitating the establishment of effective governance arrangements for coordination of transboundary water resources at sub-basin and basin-wide level; (ii) enhancing capacities of national and regional institutions and actors for effective transboundary cooperation; (iii) improving coordination with other regional intergovernmental mechanisms with a mandate in transboundary water resources management, and (iv) building consensus among the countries public and stakeholders for cooperative basin development and management.
2017-01-01