This Climate Change Strategy is a multilateral document aiming at (i) identifying basin-wide gaps and future threats concerning climate change issues; (ii) strengthening the Nile basin-wide resilience and adaptability to climate change; (iii) ensuring climate-compatible water resource management and development; (iv) setting out proper strategic objectives and outputs and introducing effective mitigation and adaptation measures. Toward this end, the NBI provides a unique platform for joint action and transboundary perspective to build upon and complement national, regional, and international activities that aim to strengthen climate resilience and low carbon development in the basin. Through its transboundary mandate, the NBI holds a comparative advantage to facilitate, support, and implement bilateral, multilateral, and basin-wide cooperative approaches. The document identifies the following 5 Strategic Objectives (i) strengthen the knowledge base to enhance common understanding of climate change risks and its impacts on water resources, ecosystems and the socio-economic system of the Nile Basin; (ii) strengthen long-term capacities for addressing climate risks and uncertainty in the Nile Basin at national and transboundary levels; (iii) support climate resilient planning and implementation addressing climate risks and programs' uncertainty; (iv) promote scalable low carbon development through enhanced transboundary cooperation in areas such as protection of wetlands as well as clean energy use and development; (v) strengthen basin-wide climate finance access and the capacity for the development of feasible projects in the Nile Basin. To protect the environment, the Strategy sets out the following interventions (i) manage climate change through an integrated approach to disaster risk reduction and adaptation; (ii) promote low carbon efforts for growth and development; (iii) promote scalable low carbon solutions to improve energy access and climate resilience of energy infrastructure; (iv) develop a Regional Knowledge Hub (RKH), a shared database on projects and initiatives in the region, an expert roster, joint methodologies, and analytical tools. For inclusive economic and social growth, the document envisages (i) developing adaptation and risk reduction measures for socio-economic development; (ii) building adaptation and resilience by scaling-up financing and creating new funding opportunities; (iii) making information on climate risks, impacts, and vulnerability in the Nile Basin accessible and used by decision-makers; (iv) promote awareness of the needs and benefits for cooperative action in responding to climate change by raising awareness at appropriate levels and amongst all relevant stakeholders; (v) embedding climate change in relevant NBI strategies and programs; (vi) facilitating regular cross-sectoral, multi-stakeholder dialogues on climate risks, impacts and vulnerabilities, and collaborative responses. As for Governance, a log-frame matrix will be developed indicating a detailed timeline for achieving the different outputs, defining roles and responsibilities within the NBI and for National Focal Points, allocating a corresponding budget, and including indicators to enable measurement of progress. Furthermore, will be put in place a Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) mechanism or system for follow-up on the operationalization of the Strategy. The NBI Secretariat (Nile-SEC) shall develop the roadmap, the corresponding budget, and risk assessment, as well as the M&E plan for the operationalization of the Strategy.
2013-06-01