Tanzanian Vice President emphasises the need for sustainable water use in the Nile Basin

In what, to date, is the highest attendance recorded for an annual Regional Nile Day celebration, more than 1,500 people attended the 16th Regional Nile Day celebrations at Mlimani City Conference Centre on February 22, 2022 in Dar es Salaam, in the United Republic of Tanzania. This was not the first time for Nile Day celebrations to be hosted in Tanzania; the 2017 Nile Day celebrations were also held in Dar es Salaam. Furthermore, returning to the coastal city in 2022 served as a homecoming since NBI was actually established in Dar es Salaam on February 22, 1999. This year’s theme, “The Nile: Our Heritage for Peace and Prosperity” was aligned with Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want, which states in Aspiration 4 that, “We aspire that by 2063, Africa shall have: an entrenched and flourishing culture of human rights, democracy, gender equality, inclusion, and peace; prosperity, security, and safety for all citizens; and mechanisms to promote and defend the continent’s collective security and interests.” > Nile Day 2022 began with a brass band-led march from University of Dar es Salaam Magufuli Hostel to Mlimani City Conference Centre, where the Guest of Honour, H.E. Dr. Philip Mpango, the Vice President of the United Republic of Tanzania, welcomed participants. In his speech, H. E. Dr. Mpango highlighted that water use in the Nile Basin has increased significantly, adding that more than 297 million people derive their livelihood from the Nile River Basin by participating in economic activities such as trade, transportation, fishery, and irrigation among others. He cautioned that the increase in population and human activities pose a great threat to the Nile River and its resources. The Vice President concluded his remarks with a call to action emphasising that, “cooperation in the use of shared resources is possible…Member States must ensure good distribution and management” for future generations. NBI Secretariat’s Executive Director, Eng. Sylvester A. Matemu, expressed his gratitude to the NBI Member States for their continued commitment to cooperation, highlighting that, NBI’s existence over the past 23 years “demonstrates a remarkable achievement worth celebrating and [is] a manifestation of the importance of cooperation on the Nile among riparian states.” Ms. Verdiane Nyiramana, the Nile Basin Discourse Board Chairperson commented on the theme for Nile Day 2022 saying, “This year’s theme is pivotal to everyone present, to work towards peaceful co-existence and sharing of the Nile waters, think about joining efforts of state and non-state actors, to collectively and regionally transform in development and cooperation as we share in the opportunities and prosperity that the Nile River provides.” The Nile Day 2022 Expo provided a unique platform to showcase NBI’s technical expertise as evidenced in the knowledge and scientific tools that have been developed to enable evidence-based and informed decisionmaking in the utilization of the shared Nile Basin water resources. The Nile Day 2022 theme served as a timely reminder to Basin citizens on the shared heritage and importance of the Nile River with a sharp focus on how cooperative management and development of the common Nile Basin water and related resources is a foundation for peace and security. Maroushka F. Kanywani
Communication and Stakeholder Engagement Specialist
Nile-SEC, ENTEBBE