In the era of 21st century when nations have developed firm commitment to address woes of the planet, the issue of commonly utilizing trans-boundary waters should never be a source of objection and rivalry. For instance, the Nile watercourse, which is considered to be the longest in the world and crosses ten states whose combined populations constitute 40% of the entire population of Africa, needs to be used through amalgamation and sense of fraternity.
Yes, the source of the Blue Nile, which constitutes 86% of the volume of the Nile, is Ethiopia, and the contribution of the White Nile is shared amongst Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The two lower riparian states, Egypt and Sudan, are traversed by the Nile that joins in Khartoum. The states through which the Nile passes need the Nile primarily for irrigation and, in varying degrees, for hydroelectric power generation, domestic use, transportation, industrial consumption. This natural bounty has to be utilized equitably following the mood of amity.
However, unfortunately, since the Nile basin is characterized by high population growth, poverty, food insecurity, environmental degradation, water scarcity and on top of it all, the potential for conflict over water is highly likely and vividly witnessed.
This sentiment needs to be altered and the Nile has to be source of cooperation in place of confrontation. Despite the enormous potential of the Nile, the riparian countries have been experiencing massive poverty and food insecurity that needs to be prettily addressed for common growth.
Since the riparian countries in particular and the entire continent in general do have one of the lowest accesses to energy, their developmental potential is reduced.
Yes, as an alarming population growth, the injudicious and incomprehensive legal relations, inequitable use of water resources, interstate relations that are marred with suspicion and misunderstanding would lead to conflict and rivalry, it is high time for all nations to devise possible solutions to the problems by establishing firm cooperation.
With a view to addressing all these and the not yet problems, the Nile Basin Cooperative Framework of Agreement (CFA) was ratified by the legislatures of Ethiopia, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi and South Sudan, the Nile Basin Cooperative Framework of Agreement (CFA) has taken an implementation phase and will be overtaken by the Nile River Basin Commission (NRBC), which is duty bound to lead cooperation and projects of reciprocated importance.
A framework agreement is an umbrella agreement which a party enters into with one or more suppliers, who may be contractors, sub-contractors, suppliers or consultants to establish the terms governing a long term relationship during which one or more contracts may be awarded by the employer to the suppliers.
The manuscript of the Cooperative Framework Agreement (CFA) outlines principles, rights and obligations for cooperative management and development of the Nile Basin water resources.
For this purpose, the establishment of a permanent institutional mechanism, the Nile River Basin Commission (NRBC) was made true. The Commission in turn would serve to promote and facilitate the implementation of the CFA and to facilitate cooperation among the Nile Basin States in the conservation, management and development of the Nile River Basin and its waters.
It has also included a large part well established customary principles of international water law; the principle of equitable and reasonable utilization, the obligation not to cause significant harm, and the principle of protection and conservation of the river’s ecosystem, by which Ethiopia has long been abide.
The good thing is the establishment of the Commission would foster actions to succeed to the rights, obligations and assets of the NBI.
Yes, the Nile Basin Initiative is an intergovernmental partnership of ten Nile Basin countries, and the only basin-wide institution mandated to facilitate the cooperative development and management of the shared Nile resources on behalf of the 10 Member States. It would help them achieve sustainable socio-economic development through the equitable utilization of, and benefit from, the common Nile Basin water resources. It would also facilitate basin cooperation, water resources management, water resources development, among others.
It is not exaggeratedly elucidated that Ethiopia has all the time reiterated its unwavering aspiration for an equitable and reasonable use of water resources for its development endeavors; to mean the country is striving to ensure sustainable development through the effective water utilization.
Taking the principal role of energy supply in achieving sustainable development that benefits fellow citizens into account; Ethiopia has so far been committed to meet its energy needs using renewable sources such as hydropower entertaining fair and reasonable fashion.
Unequivocally, Ethiopia has no intention of harming any country, other than running activities to utilize its water resources fairly and responsibly to ensure real progress. The case of the Grand Abbay Dam is an exemplary move along this line. The Dam offers substantial benefits to downstream countries beyond Ethiopia as it precludes the farm lands, human and animal lives of some riparian countries from being destroyed. If truth be told, the Dam is a potential to serve as a center of cooperation and fraternity.
Yes, the development of the Nile Basin Cooperative Framework of Agreement (CFA) helps pave the way for the vision of communal growth to come into force.
Besides, as mushrooming population growth, droughts, and famines generated ever-greater water needs in the Nile Basin in the era of 21st century, the amplified calls generated by upstream nations for the proliferation of a new legal framework has to be wholeheartedly acknowledged for golden common opportunities. They are expected to seek to get the agreement well deposited.
True, the agreement is really a forward-looking concord that can be a viable weapon to emancipate the content in general and riparian nations in particular from poverty and lack of coordination.
The CFA also incorporates the notion of benefit sharing within its principle of equitable and reasonable utilization and provides countries with a bundle of benefits.
Considering the geography of the Nile Basin, although upstream water utilization does not affect other upstream states, implementing the CFA with the active involvement of Egypt and Sudan would add a momentous value, indeed! Hence, a basin-wide agreement on the Nile Basin has to be accorded so as to govern the interests of both upstream and downstream states regarding the use, allocation, and management of the Nile watercourse.
No doubt, CFA presents the best option for institutional basin-wide cooperation. CFA’s potential for fostering basin-wide cooperation depends on the inclusion of all Nile Basin States though it is a significant step towards cooperative management of the Nile watercourse. Besides, the impending entry into force of the CFA is no doubt a landmark development for upstream States. Here, ensuring the participation of Egypt and Sudan is of paramount importance in fostering sustainable management of the Nile watercourse.
The good thing is South Sudan’s ratification of the Agreement on the Nile River Basin Cooperative Framework (CFA) marks a significant step for Ethiopia’s water diplomacy and its proposal for the fair utilization of Nile water. Yes, fair utilization of the Abbay (Nile) water is a milestone demonstrates that Ethiopia is reversing the longstanding hegemonic utilization of the Nile water through diplomacy.
The very point that needs to be taken into account in this regard is all the riparian countries have to garner opportunities like the huge and still untapped potential for hydropower generation and power trade, food production, navigation and intra-basin trade in agriculture.
Yes, there is also a young, dynamic and fast growing populations offer opportunities for labor, and commodity markets in all countries, of course. All the opportunities gained from cooperation have to be well exploited for regional integration through navigation, tourism development, agricultural trade, power integration, etc via establishing fraternity and amicable way of administering and managing the Nile waters.
Currently, decisions on the development, management and use of water resources are essentially taken within the riparian‐states as per the respective national systems of water governance in place. However, the implications of such developments tend to be trans-boundary in nature, i.e., environmental degradation, pollution, decline in downstream flows, which are exacerbated by climate change impacts.
The Basin requires approaches that take a basin wide or regional perspective, effective ways of coordination and decision making among member states to effectively address the challenges as it is really high time to make change so.
There is a dire need indeed for a coordinated and well-directed approach to maximize the effectiveness of the effort, to minimize duplication and maximize complementarily. Despite some progress there is still a major gap in due course of applying the essences of the CFA as some of, a few of course, countries are lagging behind the state of ratifying and the proper implantation of CFA, which was born to NBI.
Coordination between/among all riparian/ regional players is critical for achieving the benefits, through optimizing synergies and avoiding duplication of efforts seems trying.
As the Nile Basin Cooperative Framework Agreement might be better fruitful with holding Egypt and the Sudan’s consent, the two countries have better come to the right track and foster the proliferation of a common benefit.
Undeniably, the upper and lower riparian states have become more moderate in articulating their interests, especially since the launching of the Nile Basin Initiative.
To make situation safe and the vision of CFA would come true, Egypt needs to give up its claim of historic rights as the Nile water is the wealth of all riparian states.
In a nutshell, the Nile River Basin Commission (NRBC) is expected to serve to promote and facilitate the implementation of the CFA and to facilitate cooperation among the Nile Basin States in the conservation, management and development of the Nile River Basin and its waters. Hence, the member countries which are reflecting antagonistic gesture regarding the cooperation have to seize the right track and enjoy benefiting out of common water resources.
BY MENGESHA AMARE
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SATURDAY 12 OCTOBER 2024
