In this issue:

NBCBN Officially Signed MoU with NBI, March 2012

Dr. Wael Kahiry NBI Executive Director and Ir. Jan Luijendijk the UNESCO-IHE Project director of NBCBN Marseille, March 2012

In November 2010, during the conference of NBCBN that was held in Cairo on Sustainable solutions for Strengthening the capacity of Nile Water professionals, there was a mutual approval and understanding on the importance of finding the right mechanism for starting joint activities and cooperation between NBCBN and NBI to serve the capacity building needs of the basin professionals. This event was attended by the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) ED Dr. Wael Khairy, where he expressed the willingliness of NBI to great and open links of cooperation with NBCBN. This idea was consolidated by an official meeting in Entebbe involving both parties NBI-SEC and NBCBN management team in May 2011, to develop and shape the planned cooperation in a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). Both parties have been working hard together in shaping and developing the content this MoU that can take the ambitions of cooperation into real actions on the ground.

In March 2012 during the WWF6, Marseille-France, the official signing of this MoU between the two parties took place to mark the first step for starting joint future activities. The main aim of this MoU is to confirm the mutual missions and ambitions to further strengthening and intensifying the cooperation and to promote, initiate and co-ordinate all possible joint activities in building the capacity of the water sector of the Nile region is seen as a crucial and historic step forwards in their collaboration.

The benefit for both parties lies in the fact that existing knowledge can be easier and better bundled and accessed and that demand and supply of capacity building activities can be more effectively and efficiently addressed and streamlined throughout the basin based on agreed priority agenda's. Putting this MoU into action in the near future is a mutual target for both NBCBN and NBI. Congratulations for both Parties and for the Nile basin countries who are the real beneficiaries and stakeholders of all expected outcomes of joint activities serving capacity building needs of the Nile Basin.

Getting Closer To NBCBN New Future Phase 2013-2017: We Can Still Do More for the Nile Basin

We have been working for the last ten years as a network to build capacities of water professionals in the Nile basin. Our tools at the very beginning in the year 2000 were; an idea of a network gathering water professionals, an ambitious plan of collaborative activities and a group of people who believed how much it is needed and that we can do it.

NBCBN that started in the year 2000 as a non-traditional experiment and served as a pilot network for capacity building of water professionals in the Nile Basin has proven to be a unique structure and a valuable tool for capacity building over the years. The success of the network comes from the real impact that it generated on the performance of people working at both national and regional level in the Nile basin. For ten years, NBCBN has showed that creating links between water professionals from the basin and bringing people closer around common research objectives that serves their countries needs are important steps towards better cooperation. NBCBN stimulated joint problem-solving oriented research leading to outputs that go beyond the original horizons of the individual researchers. At the same time the cooperation has contributed to creating a basis for generating new and innovative solutions to cope with water scarcity problems in the Nile region.

Today after two successful phases of NBCBN, our eyes are on the future and how can the network continue its mission in the Nile basin as a unique provider of capacity building services for water professionals and institutions. As long as capacity building needs and gaps are still key issues affecting development in our basin and as long as innovative tools, partnerships and collaboration initiatives are still there, we believe that NBCBN can still do more for the Nile Basin.

The next phase of NBCBN is planned to start in 2013 and continue up to 2017. In this new phase the network aims at consolidating the collaborative activities in the Nile basin and focusing on the three main components of Capacity Building including: Research, Training and Education. One of our main future targets is to develop more collaboration and partnerships between different basin institutions and existing initiatives and networks and to orient our activities and innovative solutions to deal with key water problems and issues in the basin including:

• Water And Energy
• Climate Change Impacts And Adaptation
• Wetlands And Ecosystems Management
• Decision Support Tools for River Basin Management

For All our network members, nodes, regional and international partners, NBCBN-SEC would like to inform you that our next phase work plan will be ready by end of 2012 after discussion and endorsement by NBCBN-Steering Committee.

The Nile Water Science and Engineering Journal: New Issues Published

NBCBN-SEC launched the First Regional Journal for the Nile basin in 2008 titled “Nile Water Science and Engineering Journal”, The main objective of the Nile Water science & Engineering Journal is to offer a platform for members of the Nile Basin Capacity Building NBCBN network to disseminate their research output in field of river engineering to the scientific and public and private professionals and communities active in the Nile basin at local, regional and international level. It aims at raising awareness of the Nile Basin countries on the scientific and technical issues related to the development and management of water resources within the Nile basin. A special focus is on young researchers from the basin to enhance their research skills through publications.

The NBCBN-Secretariat has launched during 2011 a new call for papers; this fourth volume contains two issues. The first issue (June 2011) was published and printed copies are available, the second issue (December 2011) is now in the final technical editing and formatting process to be printed.

A new call was announced in March 2012, where two issues will be published. The demand from all the Nile basin countries water professionals to publish a technical paper in the journal is increasing with every issue, which reflects the important role of this journal in the basin, and the positive impact of the idea to establish the first regional specialized scientific journal on water and engineering related issues.

From papers published in Volume 4 Issue 1

Evaporation Modelling in Data Scarce Tropical Region of the Eastern Arc Mountain Catchments of Tanzania, Birhanu Zemadim , Felix Mtalo, Simon Mkhandi, Raj Kachroo, Matthew McCartney

Regional Flow Duration Curve Estimation and its Application in Assessing Low Flow Characteristics for Ungauged Catchment. A Case Study of Rwegura Catchment-Burundi, Joel Nobert, Jackson Ndayizeye, Simon Mkhandi

Overlay Weighted Model and Fuzzy Logic to Determine the Best Locations for Artificial Recharge of Groundwater in a Semi-Arid Area in Egypt, Peter H. Riad, Max H. Billib, Ahmed A. Hassan, Maha A. Omar

Integrated Flood and Drought Management for Sustainable Development in the Kagera River Basin, O. Munyaneza, C. Ndayisaba, U.G. Wali, D.M.M. Mulungu, S.O. Dulo For Authors registration and online published issues visit: http://www.nilebasin-journal.com/

Research Activities News

In the current bridging period of the network, a few research projects are ongoing and supported by NBCBN based on the results and recommendations of research groups under the different research modalities during the last phase.

These research projects are dealing with the following topics:

1- Assessment of Water Supply Sources and Systems of Potable Water in Khartoum Metropolitan in Relation to Liquid Waste Disposal, proposal for continuation was submitted to NBCBN-SEC. (Sudan node Local Action)

In general, the present techniques applied in WTPs in Khartoum State to reduce the turbidity problems particularly during the flood seasons are not applicable. Fast action is needed to avoid the spreading of water related diseases during the flood season that resulted from producing low quality of drinking water. The main objective of this study is to investigate options to mitigate turbidity problems of water supply by providing detailed studies (Feasibility study) for the most efficient and effective techniques that enhance the Khartoum State Water Corporation to overcome turbidity problems that threaten Drinking Water Treatment plants especially during the flood season.

2- Identification and Quantification of Runoff Generation Processes during Floods and Droughts in Migina Catchment, Southern of Rwanda, (Rwanda Node Local Action)

The main objective of this project is to assess the surface water resources of Rwasave marshland to contribute to the vision 2020 of Rwanda related to poverty reduction. This research will give knowledge on how to determine all parameters which compose the water balance equation and how the future plan of Agriculture Transformation Strategies (Land consolidation) of Rwanda should be sustainable once the results of this research are applied properly. This study will be an easy and clear tool to local farmers and Rwandan population toward an understanding of climate change and sustainable environmental development. It is also expected that the use of findings of this research could contribute to the improvement of livelihood of population and poverty reduction.

3- Hydrological and Environmental Aspects of Wetlands in the Nile Basin (GIS and Modelling Research Cluster)

This research project managed to achieve in its first phase several important outputs which are considered valuable knowledge for better understanding the Nile Basin wetlands characteristics, its uses, values and threatening degradation and losses problems. The major objective of this project second phase is to develop tools for monitoring and management of wetlands by applying EO data and remote sensing analysis and modelling tools. Specific objectives of this research includes; Mapping of all pilot selected wetlands including Burullus in Egypt and Mara wetlands in Tanzania, Developing water quality (TSM and CHL-a) time series analysis for coastal wetlands, completion of the prototype of the wetland geo-database and developing guidelines for wetland monitoring based on pilot case studies using EO data and remote sensing tools.

4- Investigating the optimum location for new power plants on the Nile River (Egypt Node Local Action)

The power plants have negative impacts either on the river or coasts. Careful site selection is very essential to minimize the impacts of the power plants on the environment and to avoid the recirculation of the effluents to the intake of the plant to maintain its efficiency. This research focuses on the Nile River. The objectives of this research proposal is to investigate the optimum and the promising location for new plants with minimum impacts on the water quality in the Nile river .El Kurimat Island will be taken as study area .