Watershed Management

Abstract

This is a preliminary discussion paper of the roles and challenges faced in managing watersheds which are the sources of the waters being used in dry lands and deserts downstream using the Nile Basin in Africa as an example. It aims at raising the role of managing watersheds which play a significant role in cross border dry lands and deserts. The Nile basin consists of the following countries: Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Sudan, South Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda. Of these Egypt, Sudan and South Sudan are mainly covered by dry land and desert land. They depend mainly on the River Nile for water source. However, the Nile comes from Lake Victoria and this lake gets its waters mainly (70%) from the watersheds of Rwanda. Using an example from Rwanda, the paper analyses the roles of watersheds as an important source of water for Lake Victoria and River Nile and in turn the dry lands and deserts in Egypt, Sudan and South Sudan. Effective management of these watersheds which are currently over 20 and belong to the 5 sub-basins in Rwanda is very significant in ensuring water availability in Lake Victoria hence the deserts and dry lands north of Lake Victoria. The paper lists some of the emerging challenges which include the fact that this issue is significance down played. There is need at global level to identify these cross border critical watersheds whose role in deserts and dry lands is very significant. The difficulties in doing this are well known but there is need to identify the watersheds and a global initiative taken to manage them