Ethiopian Waters Advisory Council (EWAC) Statement

Ethiopian Waters Advisory Council (EWAC)  
Statement

Ratification and Coming into Force of the  Nile River Basin Cooperative Framework Agreement (CFA) Ushers in a New Era of  Integrated, Mutually Beneficial, and Sustainable Management of Nile Waters 

EWAC welcomes the coming into force of the Agreement on the Nile River Basin Cooperative  Framework (CFA). The CFA governs “the use, development, protection, conservation, and  management of the Nile River Basin and its resources and establishes an institutional mechanism  for cooperation among the Nile Basin States.”  

The CFA “outlines principles, rights, and obligations for cooperative management and  development of the Nile Basin water resources”… and promotes “the integrated management,  sustainable development, and harmonious utilization of the water resources of the Basin, as well  as their conservation and protection for the benefit of present and future generations.” 

The CFA brings home a new spirit and mindset of cooperation among the Nile riparian  countries, transforming the Nile River management trajectory from a win-lose to a win-win  arrangement. With proper basin management, the Nile can offer sufficient water to significantly  enhance the socioeconomic well-being of the 602 million-plus people of the region directly or  indirectly dependent on it. This potential can be realized only if a higher vision of collective  prosperity, peaceful coexistence, mutual respect, shared responsibility, and cooperation drives  the future of the Nile.  

The CFA heralds the end of the controversial colonial and post-colonial agreements and their  replacement by the CFA, which enshrines the equitable, reasonable, and sustainable use of Nile waters. It offers opportunities to reason big and long term for a comprehensive, inclusive,  integrated equitable, reasonable, and sustainable management of the Nile waters. 

Further, the CFA sets in motion the institutional transition process from the Nile Basin  Initiative (NBI) to the Nile River Basin Commission (NRBC), which provides the needed  institutional framework to facilitate the implementation of the principles, rights, and obligations  stated in the CFA; foster multifaceted cooperation among riparian countries; and provide a forum  for resolving disputes arising over water usage. 

The CFA opens an opportunity to promote fair and efficient use of water at all levels, restore the degraded upstream ecosystem, and ensure the survival of Nile waters. Given trends and 

climate, it is in the best interest of basin countries to develop and adhere to adaptation strategies  that take advantage of the wide hydro-climatic responses in the basin, apply water-saving  technologies, transform their economies from agriculture to industry/service sectors, restore  degraded ecosystems, and conserve water bodies and sources.  

The CFA offers possibilities to advance joint investment, research, and data sharing. Promoting  and nurturing joint research and transparent communication will go a long way toward uplifting  the livelihoods of impoverished communities in upstream riparian countries and mitigating water  scarcity anxieties in downstream countries, notably Egypt.  

Finally, EWAC calls on all riparian countries that have not yet signed and ratified the CFA,  including Kenya, particularly Egypt, and Sudan, to join the Nile River family and promote  equitable, reasonable, and sustainable use of the shared resources, and conservation of the Nile  water sources.  

The Ethiopian Waters Advisory Council (EWAC) is a non-profit and non-governmental organization that brings together Ethiopians and friends of Ethiopian scientists, academics, researchers, educators, and practitioners worldwide to help Ethiopia achieve food, water, and  energy security and escape poverty and deprivation. EWAC promotes the equitable, reasonable,  sustainable, use and conservation of Ethiopia’s water resources Nile and other river systems by  generating multidisciplinary, scientific, and evidence-based knowledge on water resources to  inform policy and planning 

EWAC 

Please address your queries to: pr@ethiowac.org 

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