Burundi Elected to Chair Nile Basin Initiative

Burundi August 14/2018 Burundi, succeeding Ethiopia, was elected Chair of the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) during the 26th Nile Council of Ministers meeting held in Burundi, according to press release of NBI. During their meeting, the Nile Council of Ministers offered strategic guidance and direction on key issues aimed at encouraging member states to jointly address their common challenges including water scarcity, food and energy insecurity and climate change as well as institutional matters of the Nile Basin Initiative. The meeting has approved the NBI Financing Strategy and the Resource Mobilization Action Plan, both of which are to enable NBI raise more funds for core costs, program work as well as implementation of regional investment projects, it added. The Nile Council of Ministers is an annual gathering of the Ministers of Water Affairs from each of the Member States of the Nile Basin Initiative. The NBI is a regional inter-governmental partnership launched by the Nile Basin countries on February 22, 1999, to manage and develop the shared Nile basin water and related resources in a cooperative manner, shared substantial socio-economic benefits, and promote regional peace and security. The Nile Basin Initiative will, next year, celebrate 20 years since its inception on February 22, 1999. The 10 NBI member states include Ethiopia, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. Eritrea participates as an observer.