Building of a knowledge base on Nile River Basin transboundary wetlands

This building block is to avail critical information on transboundary wetlands for informed action. The information being gathered includes wetlands status and extend, prevailing biodiversity, wetlands ecosystem services and contribution to regional economies, wetlands potential in carbon sequestration, wetlands potential as green infrastructure and wetlands potential in climate change adaptation. Nile Basin Initiative and its partners have done and continue to undertake vulnerability assessments. One example is the hotspot methodology (UNEP 2013) to identify key ecosystems or regions that may be especially vulnerable to climate change. The hotspots were identified using 10 selection criteria: water shortages, availability of surface water sources, groundwater shortages, environmental degradation, population dependency, ecosystem dependency, groundwater regime, mean annual rainfall, socioeconomic benefit and contribution to the sustainability of the Nile Basin. Six hotspot areas identified as a result of this exercise—the Nile delta, Nile Valley, Ethiopian plateau, Nile confluence, the Sudd wetlands and Mt. Ruwenzori. Additionally, climate information services are provided for climate proofing of infrastructure investments.

The building of knowledge base will be successful if the information is packaged well for use by decision-makers and if there is trained personnel to tap on the availed information. Working on transboundary wetlands requires transboundary agreements and organizational structures. The Nile Basin Initiative has established and continues to develop joint transboundary wetland management plans, transboundary wetlands committees and working groups.

Gathering information especially on large scale is expensive. Generation of information must be supported by a clear roadmap on how the generated information will be availed to decision-makers for informed planning and action. Existence of trained personnel to tap into the information is key. The Nile Basin Initiative involves state parties through relevant ministries hence generation of information and its implementation has automatic legitimacy and political goodwill.