066-i. Advice on screening: SEA for lake levels in Nile region - East Africa

The NCEA issued an advice concerning expected long-term problems with low water levels in the Nile Equatorial Lakes region in East Africa. Following its conclusion that long-term problems indeed exist, it made recommendations on the development of a strategy for mitigation and adaptation.

Advisory reports and other documents

Significant details

Water levels of the Nile Equatorial Lakes had dropped significantly in 2005 and 2006. This led to the question whether there would be a long-term problem with these lake levels, given the range of economic activities associated with them. The Netherlands embassies in the Nile riparian countries therefore asked the NCEA to analyse whether a long-term lake level problem can be assumed, and if so, to formulate a strategy for mitigation and adaptation.

To answer this request, the NCEA formulated an approach and started to develop relations and collect information. The latter however proved to be problematic due to unavailability of data. This implied a deadlock in the NCEA's activities, that lasted until the Entebbe working conference in which new opportunities for data sharing were found via the Lake Victoria Basin Commission. After this conference, the request for advice was renewed and the NCEA issued an advisory report.

The advisory report consists of a problem analysis, comments on the present situation, and conclusions - including the conclusion that the present problems with extremely low lakes levels will prove to be persistent. This is due to, among others, expected increases in evaporation and forecasted population growth. Following these conclusions, recommendations are provided on strategy development and institutional factors.

Parties involved

Members of the working group

Chair: Klaas-Jan Beek
Technical secretary: Reinoud Post

Proponent and Component Authority

Further details

Country: East Africa

Last modified: 23 Apr 2019