Abstract
The Nile River basin is home to more than 238 million people covering 11 countries. The basin is characterized by unique ecological systems with varied landscapes including high mountains, tropical forests, woodlands, lakes, savannas, wetlands, arid lands, and deserts. The basin is also characterized by poverty, rapid population growth, environmental degradation, and frequent natural disasters. While the population in the basin is projected to increase significantly over the coming decades, the water resources are projected to decline, with an increase in environmental degradation. This will be a tremendous challenge in a basin where emerging water demands by upstream countries are forcing a new formula for the use of the scarce water resources. Unless a framework of agreement for equitable water sharing is reached soon between all riparian states, the potential for acute water conflict is high. Cooperation is essential for controlling watershed degradation and water quality decline.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Awulachew SB, McCartney M, Steenhuis T, Ahmed, AA (2008) A review of hydrology, sediment and water resource use in the Blue Nile basin. IWMI working paper 131. International Water Management Institute, Colombo
Beyene T, Lettenmaier DP, Kabat P (2010) Hydrologic impacts of climate change on the Nile River basin: implications of the 2007 IPCC scenarios. Climatic Change 100:433–461
Challenge Program on Water and Food (CPWF) (2007) http://www.cpnile.net. Accessed 21 July 2013
Elshamy ME, Seierstad IA, Sorteberg A (2009) Impacts of climate change on Blue Nile flows using bias corrected GCM scenarios. Hydrol Earth Syst Sci 13:551–565
FAO (2007) http://www.faonile.org/nbs/nilesystem.html. Accessed 15 Aug 2013
Kim U, Kaluarachchi JJ, Smakhtin VU (2008) Climate change impacts on hydrology and water resources of the Upper Blue Nile River Basin, Ethiopia. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute. p 27 (IWMI Research Report 126)
World Bank (2006) Africa Development Indicators 2006. International Bank
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2014 Springer International Publishing Switzerland
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Melesse, A., Abtew, W., Setegn, S. (2014). Introduction. In: Melesse, A., Abtew, W., Setegn, S. (eds) Nile River Basin. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-02720-3_1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-02720-3_1
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-02719-7
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-02720-3
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)