It is argued that a human being can go three weeks without food, but only a week without water, before meeting a fatal end. In short, water makes the world go round. We rely on water for almost everything; jobs, energy, food and industrialization among other key factors, which all contribute to millions of livelihoods.
The Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) joins the rest of the world today to celebrate World Water Day 2016 under the theme, 'Water and Jobs'. NBI is the umbrella body that brings together 10 Nile riparian states to discuss, cooperate and find solutions to challenges on managing and developing the waters of the world's longest river, the Nile. Water therefore is at the center of our work.
The River Nile has created several hundred jobs in the region, with communities using it for fishing, farming, transport, tourism, etc.
Under its investment program, NBI has assisted Member States to prepare 34 joint bankable water related investment projects worth more than USD 6 billion. These projects are currently being advanced by the Member States to generate clear, sustainable regional and mutual benefits for the majority of the Nile Basin inhabitants over the next decade. The benefits are not only in terms of food, water and energy security, but also jobs created for the people working in these projects and the resultant businesses including mall businesses such as schools, health centers will also benefit, employing more people in the Nile Basin.
A case in point is the 80MW NBI-facilitated Regional Rusumo Falls Hydroelectric project, which will create about 1,000 jobs during construction and an even bigger number long after construction is done.