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Taking the Nile Basin Discourse to the next level

Matemu says that a strength of the NBD Given these challenges, a sustainable Nile The new project will improve stakeholder
is its relationships with the 10 Nile Basin basin can only be achieved if governments, dialogue and action through a gender
governments through the national Nile civil society, the private sector, and equality and social inclusion lens by
Discourse Forums, comprising the more communities work together toward a strengthening and sustaining national
than 600 civil society organizations common vision on climate change and regional Nile Women Networks,
(CSOs) and non-governmental interventions, he says, including aligning establishing national Nile youth platforms
organizations in the NBD network. and a regional youth network, scaling up
policies with community priorities. NBD NBD’s internship program, and bolstering
The NBD’s primary challenge has been serves as a conduit between policymakers relationships with other institutions.
strengthening its financial sustainability. and local communities on the critical issue
Along with support from other of climate change resilience. “Every citizen has a responsibility to
development partners, the new CIWA protect what we have,” Matemu says.
grant will help NBD continue elevating the Matemu says that many people have “Otherwise, we will be a water desert
voices of communities to policymakers indigenous knowledge about how to where you can see water, but you
while striving for greater financial adapt to climate change. For example, cannot use it, where you will find water
stability. “I want to thank the World Bank, animals can sense certain atmospheric flowing, but you cannot drink it because
and CIWA in particular, for supporting it is polluted. We need to protect this
NBD and NBI,” Matemu says. signals that foretell earthquakes and, by precious resource that we have for our
observing their behavior, their owners livelihoods, for our ecosystems, for our
Strengthening can prepare. economies, for our health, and for our
climate adaptation present and future generations.”
But many communities need capacity
The Nile basin faces many challenges building to strengthen their climate
including surging populations, poverty, resilience skills, and that is precisely
rapid urbanization, uneven resource what the new CIWA grant plans to do.
distribution, deteriorating water quality, The project will generate citizen data on
disappearing ecosystem habitats, and water and climate change to inform
national and transboundary policies.
worsening climate change. These And when communities produce
challenges compromise the health, information, they are more likely to take
livelihoods, and lives of more than 272 ownership of climate change mitigation
million people living within the basin, with and resilience measures. NBD plans to Sylvester Matemu visiting a community
vulnerable to flooding on the banks of the Baro
women being impacted at work with a foundation to develop River, Ethiopia-South Sudan border. ©Gambella
disproportionately higher rates than men. citizen science data tools. Mass Media Service / NBD

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