The Nile Basin Discourse Annual Report - 2023

Executive Summary:

In 2023, Nile Basin Discourse (NBD) achieved significant progress in advancing inclusive water governance and regional cooperation across the Nile Basin. Key accomplishments included leveraging high-level platforms, engaging young professionals, mobilizing flood-prone grassroots communities, strengthening the Regional Nile Women’s Network, and activating National Discourse Forums (NDFs).

Leveraging Strategic Platforms and Forums: NBD actively utilized major regional and international platforms to promote the benefits of Nile cooperation and highlight the risks of non-cooperation. These included Nile Day 2023 celebrations, high-level stakeholder engagements on transboundary water resources management in Africa, Nile-TAC and Nile-COM meetings, the Nile Basin Development Forum (NBDF), and World Water Week, among others.

Engaging Young Professionals: NBD strengthened its outreach and knowledge-sharing initiatives in the Eastern Nile Basin countries—Egypt, Ethiopia, South Sudan, and Sudan—by engaging young professionals. This enhanced the collection of real-time data on the priorities and concerns of grassroots youth and women, particularly under Thematic Area 2 of the NBD–NCCR project.

Mobilizing Flood-Prone Grassroots Communities: NBD amplified the voices of flood-affected communities, ensuring their concerns informed national and regional policy processes. In collaboration with NELSAP-CU, NBD mobilized flood-prone communities across all Nile Basin countries (except Egypt), enabling experts to gather data essential for developing a Flood Early Warning System for the basin.

Strengthening the Regional Nile Women’s Network: NBD finalized the establishment of the Regional Nile Women’s Network, developed its Terms of Reference (ToRs), and formulated an Action Plan. The Network aims to create effective national and regional structures that support sustainable uptake of NCCR project outcomes and serve as a regional task force working alongside NBD and NBI on water and gender issues, in alignment with the NBI Gender Mainstreaming Strategy.

Activating National Discourse Forums (NDFs): Throughout the fiscal year, NBD effectively engaged NDFs to mobilize grassroots stakeholders in support of the NCCR project. This included outreach to flood-prone communities, recruitment of young interns, mobilization of grassroots women, and preparation and submission of monthly User-Generated Content (UGC).

• Joined the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) Global Partnership.
• Secured additional financing from the World Bank/CIWA to enhance institutional sustainability.