Nile Perspectives Conference Adopts Khartoum Declaration

The New Nile Perspectives Conference, which brought together over 120 water experts from Egypt, Ethiopia, South Sudan and Sudan, concluded with the adoption by researchers and policy makers of the Khartoum Declaration, expressing their commitment to “continue on-going and develop new activities that would bring a New Nile Future closer,” bringing peace, prosperity and sustainable development to all the residents of the Eastern Nile basin. The Conference took place in Khartoum, Sudan, on 6-7 May 2013, and was also attended by experts from other countries and regions. The event was organized around the theme 'New Nile Perspectives' by the Ministry of Water Resources and Electricity of Sudan together with the Institute for Water Education (IHE) of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), the Eastern Nile Subsidiary Action Program (ENTRO) and other partners. The objective of the conference was to disseminate and discuss results of state of the art research on the Eastern Nile. Delegates were presented with the findings of the Blue Nile hydrosolidarity research project, carried out by UNESCO-IHE, the University of Khartoum, Addis Ababa University, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and IWMI. The Khartoum Declaration summarizes the conference findings and calls for further cooperation in research and sharing of data between civil society, politicians and researchers along the Eastern Nile. In the Declaration, Conference participants commit to: strengthening the science-people-policy linkages; envisaging joint ecosystem management at various spatial scales; creating a digital repository for data and models with open access to all riparian residents; maintaining, rehabilitating and expanding monitoring networks for water and the environment; scaling up training in land, water, ecosystems and livelihoods and share educational resources regionally; establishing a joint regionally owned research fund which facilitates integrated, applied and action-driven research activities; establishing the Nile Museum; and organize regular forums of Eastern Nile scientists, professionals, policy makers and civil society. -- http://www.unesco-ihe.org/About/News/Eastern-Nile-basin-experts-commit-to-bringing-a-New-Nile-future-closer