Norway has throughout the last years provided support to the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI). The cooperation within the NBI – and its riparian states aims:
- To develop the Nile Basin water resources in a sustainable and equitable way to ensure prosperity, security, and peace for all its peoples
- To ensure efficient water management and the optimal use of the resources
- To ensure cooperation and joint action between the riparian countries, seeking win-win gains
- To target poverty eradication and promote economic integration
- To ensure that the program results in a move from planning to action.
The Norwegian support amounting to NOK 114 million (appr. US$ 22.5 million under Agreement signed in 2003) has been channelled through the Nile Basin Trust Fund (NBTF) – a World Bank led trust fund supporting the different activities undertaken within the NBI. Norway is currently in a process of deciding continued and increased support to the NBTF.
Nile Basin Research Programme
One of the activities undertaken within the NBI is the Applied Training Programme (ATP), under the Shared Vision Programme umbrella. Linked up with this programme the University of Bergen has together with the ATP and its national coordinators established the Nile Basin Research Programme (NBRP). This is a strategic, multidisciplinary programme for research and education on topics related to the Nile Basin.
Guest Research Fellowships available:
University of Bergen recently advertised ten salaried research fellowships for ecologist from the Nile Basin countries. The identified candidates will conduct collaborative research focusing on one or more of the following themes: 1. patterns of species richness along climate gradients such as temperature-elevation gradients and/or rainfall gradients, and 2. biodiversity conservation along a human impact gradient. For more information on this topic and information on how to apply please read the information in the attached PDF file. Nile Basin Research Programme.
Links:
For more information on the NBI: http://www.nilebasin.org/
For more information on the NBRP: http://www.nile.uib.no/