Double-Edged Hydropolitics on the Nile - Center for Security Studies ...

Introduction
Closely related
ministries
Decentralization status
Domestically contested
issues
Housing (WSS); Agriculture
(on-farm water management);
Health; Environment
Highly centralized system;
decentralization of MWRI
services is underway (mainly
O&M); limited devolution of
decision-making power
• Need for additional supply vs.
priority given to demand and
quality management
• Importance of food selfsufficiency
vs. promotion
of water-efficient cropping
patterns, virtual water trade
• Strategies to contain industrial
pollution
Agriculture (small-scale
irrigation); Energy (HEP);
Environment, Health
Central ministry is responsible
for transboundary rivers, largescale
projects
Regional states are responsible
for WSS, small-scale irrigation
projects
Local WUAs are responsible for
O&M of schemes
• Large-scale vs. small-scale
irrigation development
• Importance of food selfsufficiency
• Priority assigned to soil and
ecosystem conservation
• Responsibilities of different
agencies and levels of
governance
The stakeholder analysis performed for this study focuses on major attributes
of actor organizations (mandates, legal status, capacities in terms
of finance, expertise, and popular support), their role in different phases of
policy-making, and the dominant narratives regarding different water policy
options. In a notable difference from John Waterbury’s (2002) analysis of
the Nile Basin, the analytical design of this thesis assigns a greater weight
to non-governmental domestic actors, but only very peripherally addresses
the role of foreign contractors. The reason for the under-representation of
contractors mainly relates to their low profile and visibility in the formal
national policy processes.
The linkages between different water sector actors are analyzed by applying
the analytical method of Social Network Analysis (see Chapter 6). Data
on different types of relationships were collected through a questionnaire
(see Appendix).
Information on the progress of international negotiations was gathered
from project documents, media reports, and interviews with key informants.
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