Executive Summary:  

In the year 2024, NBD registered remarkable achievements in each of the Thematic Areas. In thematic area 1: Platform for Cooperation, NBD leveraged the 18th Regional Nile Day 2024 and NBI @ 25 Celebrations platform in Bujumbura, Burundi and participated in the donor’s strategic dialogue a day after the Nile day 2024 celebrations. NBD participated in the 7th World Bank (WB) Implementation Support Mission (ISM) for NCCR project (25th - 28th March 2024), where NBD presented its progress updates on the project, and discussed a concept note for a new project to be financed by CIWA/WB; NBD participated in the Uganda Water and Environment Week 2024 where the Regional Manager Eng. Sylvester A. Matemu showcased NBD’s achievements; NBD scaled up the internship programme from cluster 1 countries to Cluster 2 countries; NBD participated in the NBI Governance Meetings (41st NEL-TAC and the 65th Nile-TAC) which took place in July 2024 in Kampala, Uganda duly represented by the Board chair, and the Regional Manager; NBD participated in the 8th ISM of the NCCR project and leveraged the meeting to finalize its new project titled: Nile Civil Society for Climate Resilience (NCSCR) which is awaiting implementation in 2025; and finally NBD participated at the Extraordinary NBI governance meetings (November 2024) held in in Kampala, Uganda.
 
Under Thematic area 2, NBD supported Eastern Nile Technical Regional Office (ENTRO) and Nile Equatorial Lakes Subsidiary Action Programme Coordination Unit (NELSAP-CU) through mobilizing grassroot communities for consultations and data/information collection on flood and drought risk mitigation. NBD supported ENTRO in mobilizing flood-prone communities in Juba - South Sudan for a two-days training; NBD leveraged the inception workshop on Drought Early Warning System (Nile DEWS) (29th - 30th January 2024) organized by ENTRO in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; NBD supported ENTRO in training communities on awareness and preparedness for flood risk mitigation in Gambella-Ethiopia and Malakal-South Sudan, and also collected secondary data on agricultural droughts in the Nile basin countries. NBD participated and contributed to the Flash-Flood Early Warning System dissemination strategy workshop that was organized by NELSAP - CU, and contributed to the Country consultations and field visits to grassroot communities on the identification of investment options for flood risk mitigation in Ethiopia, Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania. NBD participated in the discussions and mobilized communities for consultations in Water Quality hotspot areas in Ethiopia, Rwanda, South Sudan, and Tanzania.
 
NBD leveraged the Regional Technical Working Group on Hydrology to introduce Citizen Science into the Nile Basin Hydrological Monitoring System. NBD will mobilize communities in selected stations for a pilot study to collect data and also engage in Operations and Maintenance (O&M) of hydromet stations.

In the Crosscutting theme of Gender, NBD conducted awareness-raising and capacity building trainings to National Nile Women Network members in the 9 countries, namely: Burundi, D. R. Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.

Under the Crosscutting theme of Communication, NBD developed and utilized various communication materials/tools including publications of brochures (English/French), Frequently Asked Questions leaflets (English/French), Video Clips including NBD’s Good-Will message to NBI@25, and Roll-up Banners with messages relating to NBD’s engagements in climate actions, transboundary community engagement platforms on NBI projects, women and youth empowerment in water decision making, and mentoring the young generation in conservation of the environment.

In the area of resource mobilization, NBD initiated partnership and funding discussions with UNDP, AKVO, GIZ, NBI Centres, ASARECA, IUCN, GWP-EA, LVRLAC, LVBC, and CIWA/WB to mention but a few.
 
These achievements were made despite multiple challenges, critical of which are limitations of human and financial resources.