Nile River Basin – Case StudyNile River Basin – Case StudyElaine B. Darby

CE 397 Fall 2005

The BasinThe Basin

Blue Nile

Sudd Swamp

White Nile

Nile

Basin PopulationBasin Population

• Ten Riparian States– Egypt– Sudan– Ethiopia– Uganda– Rwanda– Tanzania– Kenya– D.R. Congo– Eritrea– Burundi

Egypt22%

Burundi2%

Eritea1%

Congo16%

Ethiopia20%Uganda

7%

Rwanda2%

Tanzania10%

Kenya9%

Sudan11%

Issues in the Nile Basin

Issues in the Nile Basin

Ethiopia•Generates 85% water reaching Egypt’s Aswah

Dam

•Second most populated riparian state

•“The Single most important strategic

interest is striving to attain food security in a chronically famine-prone region…and all scenarios

[involve] more intense use of the western Nile watershed” Waterbury

Sudan•60% of Land Mass in

Basin

•Sudd Swamp – Evap loss of 50% of all Water

in White Nile

•Civil war

•Historically always sided with Egypt in Nile

Issues

Egypt•96% of population live in Nile

Delta/Basin

•Entirely dependent on Nile waters – Only 4% from underground reserves

•Considered the most powerful riparian state in basin

Unique Issues to Nile BasinUnique Issues to Nile Basin

• Historic precedence– Colonial and Egyptian control

• Egypt and Northern Sudan do not contribute to water generation in the Nile

• Majority of the riparian states became independent nations since the 1960’s

• Political and economic basis weak

International AgreementsInternational Agreements

• 1899 Anglo-Egyptian – No water withdrawn upstream of Egypt without Egyptian

and British consent

• 1929 – Egyptian and British Agreement– British represented Kenya, Tanzania and Sudan– 93% water of Nile allocated to Egypt, 7% to Sudan– All upstream projects approved by Egypt

• 1959 – Egypt and Sudan– 75% to Egypt, 25% to Sudan– Rejected by all of the other riparian states when

they became independent

Water Allocation in the BasinWater Allocation in the Basin

1959 Allocation Agreement between

Egypt and Sudan

Sudan 25%

Egypt 75%

Riparian States InterestsRiparian States Interests

• Status Quo– Egypt– Uganda

• New Allocations– Ethiopia– Sudan– Eritrea

• Indifferent– Kenya, Tanzania, Congo, Rwanda, Burundi

How do you allocate the water in the Nile?

How do you allocate the water in the Nile?

Beaumont’s Proposal50/50 Historical/Generation

Beaumont’s Proposal50/50 Historical/Generation

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

80000

Egypt Ethiopia Sudan

Mil

lio

n C

ub

ic M

eter

s/Y

ear

Current

Proposed Allotment

Egypt29%

Ethiopia44%

Sudan27%

Proposed Allocation

Brichier-Colomba (1996) 33% weight to each factorBrichier-Colomba (1996) 33% weight to each factor

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

80000

Egypt Ethiopia Sudan

Mill

ion

Cu

bic

Met

ers/

Yea

r

Current Allotment

Proposed Allotment

Population of Riparian’s country in Basin

Riparian's Area of Basin

Average amount of water used Egypt54%

Ethiopia19%

Sudan27%

What factors do you think should considered for allocations in the

Nile Basin?

What factors do you think should considered for allocations in the

Nile Basin?

Waterbury’s CriteriaEqual Weighting for each factor

Waterbury’s CriteriaEqual Weighting for each factor

• The proportion of water flowing across a riparian's border to the total discharge of the water course

• The proportion of the ripairan's total population living in the basin

• The total amount of irrigable land that could be farmed with watercourse water without extra-basin transfers

• The amount of alternative, utilizable water available in aquifers, regionally appropriate rainfall and stored water (deductions)

• A basin needs per cap allocation to protect life and basic health

• An allocation necessary to protect existing wetland and nature's "use rights"

What’s Happening in the Basin?What’s Happening in the Basin?

Recent History of CooperationRecent History of Cooperation

• 1992 – Council of Ministers of Water Affairs (Nile-COM) – all ten riparian states represented

• 1995 – Nile River Basin Action Plan – develop a co-operative framework for management of the Nile – endorsed by all

Nile Basin InitiativeNile Basin Initiative

• Goal: To achieve sustainable socioeconomic development through the equitable utilization of, and benefit from the common resources

• Objectives:– Develop water resources in a sustainable and equitable way to

ensure prosperity, security and peace for all its people– To ensure efficient water management and optimal use– To ensure cooperation and joint action between states– To target poverty eradication and promote economic integration– To ensure the program results in a move from planning to action

Recent Cooperation – cont…Recent Cooperation – cont…

• 1997 World Bank agrees to play a lead role in coordinating external finances

• 1997 – Egypt announces (unilaterally) New Nile Valley Development

• 1998 Shared Vision Plan of NBI – developed

• 1999 Approved list of priority projects/Nile Basin Initiative formally established (legal status for NBI)

New Valley – South Egypt Development Plan

New Valley – South Egypt Development Plan

• 1997 – New Valley Plan Announced

• Add approx. 49 million acres of irrigated lands

• New Canal to provide water from the Nile

• Strongly opposed by Ethiopian government

Recent Developments, cont.Recent Developments, cont.

• 2001 – Sub-Basin agreements between Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia– Agreement to build dams and expand

irrigation within Ethiopia with the plan to sell power to Sudan and Egypt

• Sept. 28, 2005 – Largest ever dam to be built in Ethiopia at Kara Dobe on the Awash River with Sudan and Egypt providing financial support

Nile Basin InitiativesNile Basin Initiatives

• 2001 Shared Vision Plans formulated

• 2002 – 2005 Goals and Funding plans approved

• 2005 Applied Training Programs begin

Questions for DiscussionQuestions for Discussion• Peter Beaumont, proposes a water allocation scheme to

fit the “equitable and reasonable” call in the 1997 UN Convention on a 50% generation/50% historical split. Do you feel this is applicable to the Nile River Basin? (Reference pages 486 – 488 and pages 491 – 494).

• In contrast to the Egyptian’s Century Storage Scheme of 1946 the Nile Basin Initiative did not start with specific water projects, but rather education, development of skilled personnel and inclusiveness of all stakeholders. Will this work? What do you think will be the primary factors in achieving development in a reasonable time frame? Or is the lack of specific projects in the NBI causing individual countries to move forward with building projects?