Page 35 - CIWA AR25

East Africa

NEXT STEPS

The project was launched in April 2025 and is currently under The initiative will unfold in two main phases: a Design Phase, which
implementation. The NBD Secretariat is scaling up technical includes stakeholder consultations, reconnaissance visits, and
experts and consultants, identifying key stakeholders, engaging development of a comprehensive technical framework, and
local communities in the target areas in the basin, and establishing an Implementation Phase, focused on rolling out tools, data
partnerships with the Nile Media Network and strategic collection, quality assurance, training, and maintenance of the
relationships between the NDFs, Ministries, and the Media Network. citizen data system. Pilot sites include the Sio-Siteko Wetland
(Kenya-Uganda) and the Mara Wetlands (Tanzania-Kenya), both

NBD is procuring a firm to lead citizen data science actions facing acute environmental pressures from pollution and land-

in the first phase of its Citizen Data Initiative, a core element use change. Based on lessons learned, the model will be scaled
of its broader strategy to support community-led data up to the Kagera River Basin—one of the most ecologically and
collection and management. This initiative, launched under socioeconomically critical sub-basins feeding Lake Victoria.
Subcomponent 1A of the project, is designed to empower local This phase-wise approach aims to build a replicable model that
communities to generate reliable data on water quality, land and promotes transparency, strengthens governance, and enables
wetland degradation, and climate-related hazards. The rationale informed, citizen-driven climate resilience across the Nile Basin.
is to improve decision making, disaster response, and sustainable
water management while strengthening citizen engagement and The next steps under Component 2 of the project focus on
integrating indigenous knowledge into environmental governance. advancing women’s empowerment and youth engagement in Nile
Leveraging its grassroots network, NBD holds a unique advantage Basin cooperation. A regional workshop will be convened for the
in mobilizing communities to cost-effectively gather actionable, Nile Women’s Network to review progress, share best practices in
on-the-ground data that governments and research institutions networking, and develop strategies for long-term sustainability and
often struggle to obtain at scale. strategic partnerships that amplify women’s voices in transboundary
water governance. Simultaneously, the internship program will be
activated through the recruitment of 10 interns placed within their
respective NDFs, alongside a Young Professional, who will be stationed
at the NBD Secretariat in Entebbe, supporting capacity-building and
strengthening youth participation in regional water dialogue.

Aerial view of the Masai Mara River. ©Ryan Harvey
35