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EGYPT: Nile basin journalists pledge to transforn river into brotherhood blood lineThursday, 12 January 2006, 14 hours, 34 minutes and 3 seconds ago.By ANDnetwork Journalist Members of the press from the nine Nile basin countries together with other stakeholders of the River Nile oriented organizations, who recently met in Egypt have come up with what is now known as 'The Alexandria agreement' through which they all pledged to transform the world's largest river into a 'brotherhood' blood line to join about ten countries located along the Nile River. Forty members met for a week long workshop in the Egyptian capital Cairo last month, under the auspices of the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI), and struck the agreement at Alexandria City, where the delegation had gone for a crowning tour, courtesy of the Egyptian foreign Minister, Ahmed Abul Gheit. Previously the delegation also had an audience with the Egyptian Water minister, Dr. Mahmoud Abu-Zeid. The second largest city in Egypt, Alexandria, located 225 km from Cairo, is known as "The Pearl of the Mediterranean" coincidentally this is also where the 6825 kilometers long River Nile finally enters the Mediterranean sea. During the workshop, it was learned that, few people in the members countries not affected directly by the Nile, knew or cared about the world's longest river. This was found to be so, particularly in Tanzania, the south most member of the Nile basin countries. It was agreed that, people here would pay more attention to the river if they start to benefit from it directly. The regional project manager for the Confidence Building and Stakeholder Involvement (CBSI) Gordon Mumbo pointed out that things like hydro-power projects, fishing industry and even Nile river based tourism, may help to raise awareness of the people in the region on the Nile. The delegates agreed that, River Nile if handled well can be a source and major keeper of peace and regional integration among member countries. The East African states, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania being home to Lake Victoria, one of the important sources of the Nile, would play a valuable role in this, having already formed their own community into which, both Burundi and Rwanda are soon to join. The Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) is a regional partnership, among the basin states of the Nile, which provides a forum for cooperative development of the water resources of the Nile River . The Shared Vision Program (SVP), one of the two major Programs within the Nile Basin , is a basin wide, grant funding collaborative action, exchange of information and training. SVP includes eight projects, seven of these are thematic projects related to environment, power trade, agriculture, water resources planning and management, applied training, confidence building and stakeholder involvement, and benefit sharing. This partnership is being implemented in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Burundi, Sudan, Kenya, Egypt and the United Republic of Tanzania, while Eritrea plays the role of being an observer. About 83 percent of the total water of the Nile comes from Lake Tana, 1,800 meters above sea level in the Ethiopian mountains. The lake flows over every summer providing for the flood that today is tamed by the barrages of Sudan and southern Egypt. This water flows through the Blue Nile until it joins the White Nile at Khartoum, Sudan to form the Nile. The other main source is the White Nile originating in Uganda and Burundi. It contributes with 16 percent but this is a more steady flow. Without it, the river Nile would run dry in May. As there are many single contributors to the White Nile, it is a question of definition on where the Nile really starts. The longest stretch of the Nile comes with the start of Kyaka river in Burundi, close to large Lake Tanganyika. This passage goes through Lake Victoria, then Victoria Nile, Lake Albert, Albert Nile, which in Sudan is called Mountain Nile. Mountain Nile joins other rivers of Sudan to form the White Nile. More than 105 million people depend on River Nile and the water body is reported to have been supporting civilization for over 5000 years now. Its width ranges between 350 meters up to 7.5 Kilometers wide in various sections of its passage. The Nile competes only with the Amazon, when it comes to size. Source: The Arusha Times Go to Source of article |