Our Identity
Nile Basin Discourse (NBD) is a network of Civil Society organization established in 2003 with the support of World Bank and other development partners to strengthen civil society participation in Nile Basin development processes, projects, programs and policies. The NBD has evolved into an independent network of over 600 member organizations throughout the Nile Basin. Member organizations are local and national CSOs/NGOs working on a range of issues relevant to Nile cooperation; including environmental conservation, agriculture, energy, gender equity, livelihoods, poverty reduction, and others. The CSOs/NGOs are members of chapters at national level referred to as Nile Discourse Forums (NDFs) established in each of the eleven riparian states. The NDFs in turn form the NBD Network, coordinated by a regional Secretariat based in Entebbe, Uganda.The NBD Network plays three critical roles: (i) a bottom-up communications pipeline for issues emanating from the citizens and civil society up to the governmental; at national and regional levels; (ii) a top-down pipeline for educating and informing citizens and civil society on Nile issues, development projects and programs and policies, etc.; and, (iii) a horizontal pipeline between citizens and civil society organizations both within and across national borders for knowledge and capacity sharing.
NBD’s networking approach has provided a mechanism for coordinated action and has added value to the work of the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) and other key development partners. The NBI is a major intergovernmental process driving forward joint sustainable development and resources management within the Nile basin.
Our Mandate
The NBD was founded primarily to strengthen the voice of civil society in development projects and programmes of the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) and to ensure that NBI responds to the development needs of local communities by establishing benefit-sharing processes that will contribute significantly to more equitable and sustainable outcomes for poor people in the basin.
NBD is registered in Uganda as a regional Non Governmental Organisation with a coordination Secretariat based in Entebbe and 11 Nile Discourse Forums (NDFs) operating in the eleven Nile riparian States (Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda). These NDFs are networks that have established critical national and regional level partnerships with NBI and other partners. The NDFs reflect a very broad constituency of civil society across the basin.
Our Vision
A Nile Basin in which there is sustainable social and economic development for all peoples of the Nile Basin, free of conflict, leading to achievement of justice, human rights, good governance, poverty eradication and protection of the environment.
Our Mission
To ensure that a fully-informed and basin-wide civil society develops and plays a key role in achieving the vision, through pro-active and critical influencing of projects, programmes and policies of the Nile Basin Initiative and other development processes.
Our Core Values
Our members adhere to the core values of Ethics, Inclusiveness, Social Justice & Equality, and Mutual Respect & Accommodation. These values underpin meaningful dialogue among people with different interests and mindsets and strengthen NBD's neutral stance and credibility.
Core Objectives
We strive to achieve our mission through the pursuit of the following four Strategic objectives:
- Support initiatives for sustainable integrated river basin management at all levels for livelihood improvement & development in the basin.
- Influence policy development for equitable utilization and sustainable management of the Nile basin resources.
- Improve communication, knowledge and information management among civil society organizations in the Nile basin to strengthen civil society perspectives in development processes.
- Develop organizational capacity for a functional, efficient, effective and dynamic NBD.
Key Functions
- Technical Expertise: Communication and Knowledge Management: Establishing an information system that allows all stakeholders, to access the information available on Nile Cooperation and give feedback.
- Technical Expertise: Advocacy: Advocating for cooperation and coordinated development and management of Nile Basin resources in order to maximize economic and social welfare of the Nile Basin Citizens without compromising the sustainabllity of vital environmental systems.
- Technical Expertise: Convening Power: Providing a platform for facilitating dialogue between its multiple stakeholders.
- Building Patnerships: Between the public, private and civil society sectors which has enabled leaders from different background to find a common ground and common agenda to change balance in power in their region.
- Technical Expertise: Providing leadership in Nile Basin Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM) approach to Nile Basin development initiatives.
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