When deeds speak, words are nothing

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RethinkingregionalinvestmentsHenry LutaayaKampala, Ugandare<think6policies & the waywe investThe sixth Nile Basin Development Forum (NBDF)was successfully held between February andMay 2021, despite the travel restrictions amidthe COVID-19 pandemic.The largely virtual event held in the formof online webinars attracted 824 participantsfrom 55 countries around the world underthe theme: “Rethinking regional investmentsin the Nile Basin: Water, Energy, Food, Environmentand Climate Change.”Dr. Michael Kizza, the newly appointedNBI Deputy Executive Director, which convenesthe tri-annual science dialogue, spoke withThe Nile’s Henry Lutaaya about the forum.The Niles: Why did NBI choose the theme “Rethinkingregional investments in the Nile Basin”?Michael Kizza: NBI is an inter-governmentalorganisation set up by ten member countriesthat share the Nile Basin to promote equitableutilisation of water resources.When NBI was set up way back in 1999,one of the main objectives was to promotecooperation on the Nile Basin water issues.Secondly, it was established to support waterresources management and, thirdly, to supportwater resources development.Countries take the issue of developmentvery seriously. As you know, the Nile Basinis composed of countries that are still in theirdevelopmental stage and therefore have manychallenges that border around high povertylevels and growing demand for social services.The basin is also a very complicated areato the extent that only a part of it receives heavy rainfall.The other half receives very little rainfall,yet those who receive little rainfall sometimessuffer from flooding.Even among those that receive a lot of rainfall,all the water goes away during the rainy seasonand experience water shortages during the dry spell.These natural challenges have been complicatedby two key general problems to theNile Basin; very high population growth ratescoupled with economic growth. The combinationof high population growth and economic
With more pressure on resources fromgrowing populations, plus the loomingthreat of climate change, the NileBasin Initiative (NBI) is rethinkingits investments to ensure they areas effective as possible against themounting challenges.growth means that the demand for water, food,energy is growing much faster. Yet, the waterresources that are needed to meet this growingdemand are not expanding.Secondly, the challenges are regional innature. The challenges you have in Ugandado not stop at the border – they are transboundaryin nature. If each country tries to solveits own problems, it will not result in thebest solutions.If, for example, Uganda tried to reclaimwetlands to settle or feed its growing population,it would not only negatively affect theregional climate but it will also underminethe quality of the water reaching downstreamcountries since wetlands play a critical rolein water purification.Out of the recognition of the need to promotecooperation and collaboration, NBI wastasked by its governing organs – the Nile Councilof Ministers and the Nile Technical AdvisoryCommittee – to promote investments in waterresources infrastructure and promote theunderstanding of the importance of transboundaryinvestments.NBI has done a very good job over the yearsin ushering in transboundary cooperation bycreating an environment where countries cantalk to each other rather than quarrel.The next step is to ensure that you use theresources equitably and sustainably. You wantto ensure that everyone is happy without compromisingthe needs of future generations.Therefore, the primary role of NBDF hasbeen to bring together all the people who aredealing with water resources to talk about them.A reporting opportunityBecause the NBDF brings updated information,it provides policymakers and the scientificcommunity with a vital platform to shareinformation on what is happening.We, therefore, wanted to use the 6th NBDFto know what is happening in the different memberstates regarding investments, but also for usto report on what we have been doing regardingthe area of investments since the last NBDF.In this regard, the theme of rethinkinginvestments was meant to ensure that we remainfocused on the urgent challenges facing theregion and evaluate our performance againstthe ideas for which NBI was established.A growing challengeThere was a feeling that we have beencarrying out investments ever since NBIwas established 22 years ago. But while wehave achieved many things over the years,if anything, the problem has grown bigger.For example, the water demand is rising asthe population is expanding. The economies areexpanding and therefore need more and morewater, energy, and construction materials, someof which depend on the river’s life.We wanted to find solutions to some of thesechallenges.TN: Why are some of the investments notmoving very fast?MK: Why are the problems growing biggerdespite the efforts of the countries and all otherregional players? How can we become moreefficient and leverage resources to ensure thatwe invest in more sectors that benefit the people?The rethinking part was not to say thatwhat we have been doing is not good but ratherthat we can find more efficient ways of usingour investments.TN: Following the dialogue, what are thecritical areas of investments that emerged?MK: The critical areas of investment arevery many, but for me, they are founded ona number of realities or facts. Fortunately, thesehave been captured in NBI’s six strategic goals,which are:1. Water Security – meeting rising waterdemand;2. Energy security – unlocking and optimisinghydropower potential;3. Food Security – increasing Agriculturalproductivity;4. Environmental Sustainability – protectingand restoring degraded ecosystems;5. Climate change – preparing for climatechange impacts;6. Strengthen transboundary water governance– bringing people together to build acommon ground for win-win benefits.The challenge posed by rapid populationgrowth and economic growth is causing exponentialgrowth in demand for water. With economicgrowth, water usage and energy per person ishigher for richer people than for poor people.For example, when you’re planning for awater system in the face of a rising populationand rising incomes, you have to consider thefact that richer people use more water.You also have to prepare for ways to clean upthe environment. As you may, know rivers thatpass through urban areas or highly populatedareas tend to be more polluted because they areusually dumping grounds for the people wholive along those rivers.So, some of the discussions were, forexample, about what does science say aboutthe impact of different economic activitiesin wetlands.How can we produce more food to feeda bigger, richer population more efficientlyby using the same amount or even less waterthan we’re using today?On food security, some of the emergingproposals include, for example, how cancountries collaborate to invest in the productionof more food more efficiently?Studies indicate that if everyone developedtheir irrigation plans without due considerationof available water, we would have a very bigwater shortage before 2050. This justifies whywe need to plan together, but also it meansthat we have to look for more efficient waysof producing more food with less water.Energy security is one of the strategicgoals of the NBI. We had numerous discussionsabout how we could advance the region’shydropower agenda.Can countries come together to financejoint projects in their energy sector? Thisis actually what we mean by sharing benefitsas opposed to sharing the resources.Sharing benefits speaks to the need to focuson getting the best from the resources insteadof sharing the resource.It speaks to the need to exploit the resourcesconsidering the needs of others as opposed tocompeting over the same resource when eachcountry undertakes individual projects.TN: How have new challenges such asclimate change impacted the NBI agendaon investments?MK: Climate change is making the existingproblems much worse, causing recurrentdroughts and floods. An increase in temperatureis compounding the already seriouschallenge of decreasing water levels or theworsening quality of the water in the riversand lakes.But when you work together, becauseyou’re dealing with problems beyond eachand everyone, you can manage it and ensurethat it’s handled better. Otherwise, workingalone will likely worsen the problem as everyonetries to compete for the same resource.TN: What sorts of investments or changesare needed to address the increasingly complexchallenges on the governance front?MK: Governance requires political will andthe need to invest time in appreciating the challengesof other countries. By design, cooperationinvolves a process of giving and taking.Dr. Michael Kizza,Deputy Executive Director,Nile Basin Initiative.Photo: The Niles / HenryLutaaya7
Page 1 and 2: When deeds speak, words are nothing
Page 3 and 4: ContentsEditorial: The board is big
Page 5: Preparing for climatechange impacts
Page 9 and 10: Dagim TerefeAddis Ababa, EthiopiaWi
Page 11 and 12: Tuver WundiGoma, Democratic Republi
Page 13 and 14: For years, waste, which has been a
Page 15 and 16: Historically, the Zabaleen were far
Page 17 and 18: “People can use their creativeski
Page 19 and 20: “Lake Victoriais undertremendousp
Page 21 and 22: dig another well for disposing it,
Page 23 and 24: Rethinking water securityThe multip
Page 25 and 26: “We losea staggeringamountof wate
Page 27 and 28: “Working with local leaders, the
Page 29 and 30: A kerosene lamp floating ona fishin
Page 31 and 32: Otieno Ngare, a member ofthe same f
Page 33 and 34: “Seeing themadopt reliableand sus
Page 35 and 36: Mahmoud Yasin, a Tuti Islandfarmer.
Page 37 and 38: How to unlock opportunitiesand lowe
Page 39 and 40: Improving food security:One drip at
Page 41 and 42: Why Nile Basin wetlandsmatter: prov
Page 43 and 44: The real value of Nile Basinwetland
Page 45 and 46: The media needs to air more perspec
Page 47 and 48: “It ceased tobe a hydropowerdevel

When deeds speak, words are nothing

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