Project Context:

The trans-boundary nature of the Eastern Nile offers a unique opportunity for cooperative development and management. A program of cooperative development on the Eastern Nile with joint institutions and infrastructure in Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan can have major forward linkages into regional relations and trade in the sub-region and provide transformational socio-economic benefits. Regional and multi-sector infrastructure projects achieve economies of scale and enable access to wider markets, producing synergistic effects and increased benefits relative to national and single purpose projects.  Moreover, cooperation will enable the joint management of risk of water-related impacts (in particular floods, droughts and climate change) and the joint development of productive opportunities

Project Objectives:

To contribute to transformational and sustainable socio-economic development, economic integration and stability in the EN region.  A more immediate development objective of the JMP1 is to undertake cooperative and sustainable development and management of the shared Blue/Main Nile water resources

Current Status:

JMP staff members have been assembled. Consultants were hired to provide assistance to the Eastern Nile Countries in the identification and definition of an investment package for first joint multipurpose project (JMP 1) that would provide win-win opportunities to the three riparian states, and that would address their needs for more power, food production and environmental sustainability.

The JMP I ID kick-off workshop was convened 30-31 January, 2010 in Khartoum Sudan. The main objective of this workshop was to inform the key stakeholders about the JMP I ID study, the consultative process, the organizational arrangements, clarifying the linkage/synergy of the JMP I ID study with other complimentary studies such as the Site Specific Studies (SSS).   ENSAPT members, representatives from the three countries different sectors, Parliamentarians, NBI secretariat, Media, NBDF, Development Partners, Private sectors, Prominent persons, Resource persons and consultants attended this kick-off workshop, which  was successful both in terms of attendance and meeting the objectives.

Inception report for the first was submitted by the Consultants and deliberated on by stakeholders drawn from the EN countries.

Phase I Inception Report Review workshop was held 27-28March 2010 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The objective of Phase I Inception Report Review Workshop was to discuss on the Consultant’s revised approach and methodology for Phase I activities developed based on comments received from the three Eastern Nile countries, ENTRO and World Bank Team members. A total of 38 participants were attended this workshop.

The Consultants are now preparing a draft Strategic Social and Environmental Assessment (SSEA) stage 1 report that will be shared with wide group of stakeholders for consultation in late June.   

Next Steps:
Commencement of phase II study by July 2010: The Consultant will undertake SSEA stage 2 ; cascade development and investment sequencing study; flood plain management;  irrigation modernization;  watershed management ;  and economic and financial studies. All will be shared and series of consultation sessions will be held to deliberate on the findings. 

Challenges:

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