All stakeholders in the Nile must share environment management costs
Aug 01, 2009
I would like to respond to the article “River Nile water sharing agreement postponed†published on Wednesday. The question of the river Nile can be traced to the scramble for and partition of Africa between 1884 and 1885.
I would like to respond to the article “River Nile water sharing agreement postponed†published on Wednesday. The question of the river Nile can be traced to the scramble for and partition of Africa between 1884 and 1885.
Egypt had been earmarked by many European countries like France and Britain for strategic reasons. This was most especially during the reign of Khedive Ismail who completed the construction of the Suez Canal. Because of this, colonial powers competed for its effective occupation. But the country was arid and its population depended on the Nile. In 1896, France and Britain almost went to war at Fashoda in Sudan because of the question of controlling the Nile.
The situation was saved by a consensus which led to the signing of the 1959 agreement. But the agreement did not consider future dynamics like increase in population which would require irrigation in countries upstream or the fate of other countries venturing into production of hydro-electric power. Only Egypt was given veto power to supervise upstream projects! I suggest:
Countries downstream should use the waters sparingly considering countries like Egypt upstream.
The 1959 agreement needs to be revisited for a win-win situation.
All countries which share the Nile basin must ensure proper environment management.
All countries involved should avoid selfishness. The Nile was created by God.
All African countries must work together for the common good.
John Vianney Ahumuza
Makerere University
Egypt had been earmarked by many European countries like France and Britain for strategic reasons. This was most especially during the reign of Khedive Ismail who completed the construction of the Suez Canal. Because of this, colonial powers competed for its effective occupation. But the country was arid and its population depended on the Nile. In 1896, France and Britain almost went to war at Fashoda in Sudan because of the question of controlling the Nile.
The situation was saved by a consensus which led to the signing of the 1959 agreement. But the agreement did not consider future dynamics like increase in population which would require irrigation in countries upstream or the fate of other countries venturing into production of hydro-electric power. Only Egypt was given veto power to supervise upstream projects! I suggest:
John Vianney Ahumuza
Makerere University