“The dominant
river system in Sudan is the Nile,
the basin of which extends over 77
percent of the country. The river’s
two main tributaries, the Blue and
White Nile, flow into Sudan from Ethiopia
and Uganda respectively, and meet
in Khartoum before flowing north into
Egypt. In an otherwise arid terrain,
the Nile plays a crucial role in the
country’s various ecosystems.
Sudan also has over 750 km of coastline
and territorial waters in the Red
Sea, which include an archipelago
of small islands.” Sudan Post-Conflict
Environmental Assessment,
UNEP,
2007, p.42.
Sudan shares the Nile River with Burundi,
the Democratic Republic of Congo,
Egypt, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Rwanda,
Tanzania and Uganda. The 10 countries
sharing the Nile make up the so-called
Nile Basin that covers an area of
3 million square kilometers. While
sharing this rich natural resource,
the countries of the Nile Basin face
several challenges related to the
high levels of poverty, rapid population
growth, lack of access to basic services,
serious energy problems, and severe
environmental degradation.
Recognizing that cooperative development
holds the greatest prospects for bringing
benefits to the entire region, the
Nile riparian countries took an historic
step in establishing the Nile Basin
Initiative. Formally launched in February
1999 by the Council of Ministers of
Water Affairs of the Nile Basin States,
the Initiative provides an institutional
mechanism, a shared vision, and a
set of agreed policy guidelines to
provide a basin-wide framework for
cooperative action. The long-term
goal of the Shared Vision Programme
(SVP) is to create the enabling environment
for the Nile riparian countries to
“achieve sustainable socioeconomic
development through the equitable
utilization of, and benefit from,
the common Nile Basin water resources.”
In 2004, with the support of Global
Environment Facility,
World Bank and Nile Basin Trust
Fund, UNDP started the Nile Transboundary
Environmental Action Project as one
of eight projects under
the Nile Basin Initiative Shared Vision
Programme. The project provides
a strategic framework for environmentally
sustainable development of the Nile
River Basin and supports basin-wide
environmental action linked to transboundary
issues in the context of the Strategic
Action Programme.
Objectives
The main objective of the Nile Transboundary
Environmental Action Project is to
provide a strategic environmental
framework for the management of transboundary
waters and environmental challenges
in the Nile River Basin.
The specific objectives of the project
are:
• Provide a forum to discuss
development paths for the Nile with
a wide range of relevant partners,
• Improve the understanding
of the relationship between water
resources development and the environment,
• Enhance the environmental
management capacities of basin-wide
institutions and the Nile Basin Initiative.
Snapshots of the project's major achievements
Institutional Strengthening:
• 2 cross border projects with
Egypt and Ethiopia.
• 6 projects are under implementation
in South Sudan.
• Trained partner NGOs and local
communities in project formulation
and implementation.
Community-Level Land, Forests,
and Water Conservation:
• 44 pilot projects have been
selected for review and possible documentation
as best practices.
• 6 regional CB workshops conducted
and over 150 professionals trained
from NGOs, CBOs and Government trained
• Over 40 national CB Workshops
for NGO, CBOs, NGO Networks and Government
staff conducted where more than 800
participants were trained
• Over 30 MG projects identified
as BP candidates
• Soil erosion studies to inform
MG completed in Ethiopia, Rwanda and
Sudan.
• Regional Micro grant Strategy
and Operational Manual developed
• Institutional arrangement
for MG implementation completed in
all NB countries
• National Action plans developed
and approved in all countries
• A total 234 MG project approved
in all Nile Basin countries
Wetlands and Biodiversity:
• Hosted the inaugural Regional
working group meeting organized in
Khartoum honored by the Minister of
Irrigation.
• Established a focal point
for management of wetlands in Government
of South Sudan. Another one has been
established in the Ministry of Environment
and Physical Planning.
• Formed Working Group for South
Sudan. The second meeting for the
networking group was conducted and
presented recommendations for management
of Sudd Wetlands.
• Established a network of expertise
and themes.
• Supported a joint Sudan/ Ethiopia
exploration visit with micro grant
& water shed project for preparing
for joint studies on Dinder/ Alatish
National Parks.
• Regional WG on Wetlands and
Biodiversity established and conducted
its second meeting in Addis Ababa
where a review of the previous work
plan was done and inputs made into
the wetlands strategy drafted.
• Established National level
inter ministerial wetlands management
networks in all NB countries
• Training materials targeting
five categories of stakeholders have
produced
• Conducted 8 reports of studies
at each site
• Baselines are being developed
through a network of national experts
and have been completed in many of
the Nile Basin countries
• 15 officers were trained on
wetlands management
• Preparations of plans started
at the Sio-Siteko and the Dinder-Alatish
biodiversity TB sites.
• 11 MG pilots on wetlands are
under implementation
Water Quality Monitoring:
• Formed a regional WQ Working
group including representation of
South Sudan.
• Prepared baseline reports
and WQ training modules.
• Celebrated World Water Days
in coordination with UNESCO for Science
& Education & other partners.
• Joined the IWA in celebration
of World Monitoring Day in partnership
with Youth & schools.
• Plan for institutionalizing
and operating 5 transboundary monitoring
stations prepared in consultation
with the Directorate for Water Resources.
• Procured water quality monitoring
equipments and small kits for the
laboratories of the federal government
and local government in South Sudan.
• Water quality equipments procured
for main laboratory and small kits
water quality equipments procured
for laboratories in North & South
Sudan.
Environment Education and
Awareness:
• At least 8 universities in
6 NBI countries approved and adopted
the environmental modules based on
Nile environmental threats.
• Developed Environmental course
frame and modules based on Nile environmental
threats in all NBCs
• Adopted and institutionalized
Environmental campaigns and schools
award programs at national levels
in at least 6 NBI countries.
• Developed and institutionalized
two environmental awareness programs
at national level
• 180 teachers trained on project
based learning.
• Environmental modules developed,
circulated and 180 teachers trained
on utilization.
• Modules for mainstreaming
Environment Education in the School
curriculum developed in the DRC and
Burundi
• 67 school projects are finalized
and utilized for learning
• A tertiary level teaching
framework has been developed together
with teaching materials
• A video documentary covering
7 main Nile threats has been developed
and circulated.
For more information on the overall
achievements of the project, please
click on:
Overview
of the NETAP achievements.
To learn more about the Nile Basin
Initiative please visit:
http://nteap.nilebasin.org/
