The French Development Agency also known as Agence Française de Development (AFD) has extended a grant worth 400,000 Euros (Approximately UGX1.5bn) to the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) to support the organisation’s capacity development programme.
The grant signing ceremony took place at the NBI headquarters in Entebbe, Uganda on March 11, 2019. NBI’s Executive Director, Eng. Innocent Ntabana signed on NBI’s behalf while Christian Yoka, AFD’s Regional Director for Eastern Africa for the donor party.
The grant originates from the France-based Rhone Mediterranean Corsica Agency (AERMC), which has taken the initiative to support other like-minded river basin organisations technically and financially and share their knowledge through this platform.
AERMC is a public establishment with the Ministry for Environment in France dedicated to water protection.
Speaking during the signing at the Secretariat in Entebbe, Yoka emphasised the need for cooperation and technical know-how in water resource management.
“The Nile waters are a powerful lever for the socio-economic development of more than 300 million people today and the risk of climate change and population growth continues to present challenges to the sustainable use and management of these waters. In order to respond to rising challenges and demands, there is a need for greater cooperation and enhanced capacities in the field of water resource management,” he said.
On his part, Eng. Ntabana said: “The strengthening of the structures of the NBI and their sustainability is crucial for the maintenance of this framework of concerted dialogue. The continuation of this cooperation is critical in a context where the pressure on natural resources may generate tensions between communities of the Nile neighbouring countries.”
