The Nile Basin is characterized by high hydro-dependency levels traversing political boundaries. Although this kind of dependency is increasing every other day, availability of fresh water is shrinking. This calls for concerted efforts to ensure that the resource is put to sustainable use to benefit citizens of the Nile Basin. This gives each one of us a critical role to play.

To serve our stakeholders effectively and efficiently, NBD is putting in place the 2018 – 2022 strategy. NBD launched the strategy development process at a workshop in February 2017 in Dar-es-salaam, Tanzania. We expect to start implementation of the new strategy next year.
To ensure sustainability of our advocacy efforts, NBD continues to foster partnerships and collaborations as a means of mobilizing additional resources. In 2017, we responded to several calls for proposals and wrote concept notes to potential donors. We hope and pray for positive responses.
On a positive note, NBD will be implementing an assignment as a contracted party with IHE-Delft on Women and Water in Communities for Change project to be implemented in Tanzania and Uganda.

In November 2017, NBD held the innaugural Nile Basin Discourse Summit(NBDS) in Entebbe - Uganda; bringing together representatives of CSOs in the Nile Basin, experts in water resources, researchers, development partners and media to discuss initiatives to promote regional integration through enhanced transboundary cooperation. Driven by the summit theme: "Integration and Inclusion: New Ideas for collaboration in River Basins", a total of 19 working papers were presented.

In the area of transboundary stakeholder engagement, NBD reached out to communities and relevant stakeholders in the: Nyimur-Aswa sub-Basin project (South Sudan and Uganda), Baro-Akobo-Sobat multi-purpose development project (South Sudan and Ethiopia).

In the pages of this report, you will find a more detailed account of activities in the year ending 2017 .

With your usual support, we look forward to a more engaging 2018.