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Member states

The River Nile has dozens of tributaries, down to the tiniest streams and rivulets. But the largest of them all is the Blue Nile, which flows from Ethiopia’s Lake Tana and joins the White Nile in Sudan, where it contributes about 85 percent of the water that makes up the main Nile. It’s also crucial to almost every aspect of life in Ethiopia; some 32 percent of the country lies in the Nile Basin and about forty percent of the population lives there. The Blue Nile is facing serious threats. Deforestation, overgrazing and erosion from agriculture are causing the river to silt up dangerously, adding to the threat of flooding in downstream countries. In addition, Ethiopia’s rapidly growing population is straining the available water.
Ethiopia and the Nile Basin Initiative: Benefits of cooperation

The Nile Basin borders Lake Victoria in the country’s west. Though it makes up only about 9 percent of the country’s land area, the Basin provides about 52 percent of Kenya’s water, and its role in the country’s economic development seems set to increase. The Nile Basin is extremely important to Kenya and it is the least-developed basin in the country. The region faces serious problems with soil erosion, deforestation, sedimentation, decline of water quality and degradation of wetlands – issues which can best be addressed through a trans-boundary approach.
Kenya and the Nile Basin Initiative: Benefits of cooperation

The Republic of South Sudan was admitted to the NBI by the Nile Council of Ministers during their 20 regular meeting held on 5 July, 2012 in Kigali, Rwanda. One of the key reasons for South Sudan’s joining the NBI is that geographically, the country falls wholly (98 percent) within the River Nile Basin and therefore its growth and prosperity are undoubtedly linked to the developments within the River Nile Basin.

Rwanda is a small, mountainous country in the far southwest of the Nile Basin. The country has abundant water resources, totaling some 5 billion cubic meters per year. About 84 percent of the country lies in the Nile Basin and some 90 percent of the population is engaged in agriculture, making water management a key issue. Deforestation and erosion are taking a toll, and other environmental issues (including the proliferation of the water hyacinth, a destructive weed) are becoming serious problems.
Rwanda and the Nile Basin Initiative: Benefits of cooperation

Traditional dancers
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