Major informationMajor information

Basin area: Basin area: 3.1 million km2, including 81,5003.1 million km2, including 81,500km2 of lakes and 70,000 km2 of swampskm2 of lakes and 70,000 km2 of swamps Basin population: Basin population: 160 million, or 57% of the160 million, or 57% of theentire population of the basin’s 10 riparianentire population of the basin’s 10 ripariancountries: Burundi, D.R. Congo, Egypt, Eritrea,countries: Burundi, D.R. Congo, Egypt, Eritrea,Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania,Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania,UgandaUganda Primary water uses: Primary water uses: irrigation, industry,irrigation, industry,domestic supply, hydropower, and navigationdomestic supply, hydropower, and navigation Irrigated area of the basin: Irrigated area of the basin: 5.5 million ha,5.5 million ha, with potential of 10.2 million hawith potential of 10.2 million ha

Challenges of the Nile river Challenges of the Nile river basin countriesbasin countries

Poverty Food insecurity Water shortages Land degradation Pollution from effluents Soil erosion Loss of biodiversity Sedimentation of lakes and reservoirs Pollution by agro-chemicals and industrial waste Salination of wetlands of Burundi, Rwanda,

Tanzania, Uganda and Sudan

Aswan damAswan dam Roseires dam

Sennar dam Owen Falls dam

The major cities that are located on the edge of the Nile and White

Nile

CairoCairo GondokoroGondokoro KhartoumKhartoum AswanAswan Thebes/LuxorThebes/Luxor KarnakKarnak TheThe town of Alexandria town of Alexandria which which lies near lies near

the Rozeta branch. the Rozeta branch.

In 1929 Britain signed the Nile Basin Treaty In 1929 Britain signed the Nile Basin Treaty with Egypt, pledging on behalf of its colonies with Egypt, pledging on behalf of its colonies not to undertake any works that would reduce not to undertake any works that would reduce the volume of the volume of water flowing to Cairowater flowing to Cairo

Revised in 1959, the agreement shared out the Revised in 1959, the agreement shared out the waters of the Nile between Egypt and Sudanwaters of the Nile between Egypt and Sudan

According to the treatment between Egypt and According to the treatment between Egypt and Sudan no country can undertake a project of Sudan no country can undertake a project of whatever magnitude without express of whatever magnitude without express of approval of Egypt approval of Egypt

‘‘

Section 4 (ii) of the 1929 Section 4 (ii) of the 1929 agreement reads: agreement reads:

"Save with the previous agreements of the Egyptian "Save with the previous agreements of the Egyptian government,government, no irrigation or power works or no irrigation or power works or measures are to bemeasures are to be constructed or taken on the river constructed or taken on the river Nile and its branches, or onNile and its branches, or on the lakes from which it the lakes from which it flows, so far as all these are in the Sudan or countries flows, so far as all these are in the Sudan or countries under British administration, which would in such a under British administration, which would in such a manner as to entail any prejudice to the interests of manner as to entail any prejudice to the interests of Egypt, either reduce the quantity of water arriving in Egypt, either reduce the quantity of water arriving in Egypt or modify the date of its Egypt or modify the date of its

arrival."arrival."

The total annual discharge of the The total annual discharge of the Nile between Egypt and Sudan was Nile between Egypt and Sudan was measured at 74 billionmeasured at 74 billion cubic meters cubic meters from which the former wasallocated from which the former wasallocated two-thirds - or 55.5 billion cubic two-thirds - or 55.5 billion cubic meters - with the latter awarded the meters - with the latter awarded the remaining 18.5 billion cubic metersremaining 18.5 billion cubic meters..

In 1980 Egypt rejected Ethiopia’s In 1980 Egypt rejected Ethiopia’s project about irrigation system and project about irrigation system and hydro-power development of that hydro-power development of that region. region.

In 1980 Tanzania declared the plan of In 1980 Tanzania declared the plan of drawing water from lake Victoria to drawing water from lake Victoria to supply Kahama and supply Kahama and Shinyanga Shinyanga regions. regions. This plan controverts to Britain-Egypt-This plan controverts to Britain-Egypt-Sudan treaty.Sudan treaty.

Kenya has also embarked on a project Kenya has also embarked on a project to draw water from rivers that flow to draw water from rivers that flow into Lake Victoria to draw water for into Lake Victoria to draw water for irrigation projects. irrigation projects.

Uganda caseUganda case Uganda lies 100% in the Nile basin, but it Uganda lies 100% in the Nile basin, but it

suffers from adequate access of fresh water.suffers from adequate access of fresh water. In order to solve the problem In order to solve the problem Uganda Uganda

startedstarted "sell" the Nile waters at it exits at "sell" the Nile waters at it exits at Nimule. Nimule.

Uganda claims:Uganda claims:"Those were the British, they were not "Those were the British, they were not

ourselves," he said. "Egypt has no right to ourselves," he said. "Egypt has no right to monopolise the use of the Nile water for monopolise the use of the Nile water for irrigation. It cannot irrigation. It cannot deprive others from using it." deprive others from using it."