The Blue Nile has a unique Ecosystem as it enters the Sudan.  It forms shallow meadows (Mayaas) that constitute an outlet for the flood water in the rainy season.   Acacia Nilotica (Sunut) trees are the dominant species in these meadows.  The Forests National Corporation (FNC) has reserved about 16,000 feddans (6,720 ha) as national reserved forests for the protection of the Blue Nile water course.

The United Nations recognized women’s rights of living in the peaceful world. In the resolution 1325 adopted on October 31st, 2000, the United Nations voted that women should be involved in the peace consolidation because those women and girls are the first victims during the conflict in the world.   As the World was celebrating the International Women Day  in March 2018, the DR Congo National Discourse Forum (DRCNDF) took this opportunity to call the general public to put women’s rights...

  The Kenya National Discourse Forum (KNDF) affiliated youth group's company, Eco2librium, based in Kakamega is using sugarcane leftovers to produce charcoal for domestic use as an initiative to save Kakamega Forest from destruction. Recycling sugarcane waste started two years ago where the company managed to produce over 800 bags of charcoal briquettes per month. The Company’s Director Christopher Amutabi, says that charcoal made from sugarcane produces less ash and dust and burns three to...

  Tanzania Home Economics Association (TAHEA-MWANZA) has been implementing the promotion of Sweet Potato production including Orange Fresh Sweet Potato (OFSP) for food security, climate change resilience, health and nutrition, and income generation since 2000 to June, 2018.

Kenya National Discourse Forum (KNDF)’s General Secretary, Mr Laban Korelach has called on the Kenyan Government to quickly come to the aid of maize farmers following the invasion of maize farms by the fall armyworm.  Mr Laban sent this message at two days Farmers’ Workshop held at Cicada Hotel in Eldoret on April 12, 2018. He noted that Kenya could lose half of its maize crop and face a massive food crisis following an invasion by armyworms. Currently farms at the Coast, Rift Valley, Western...

Water hyacinth and other aquatic weeds have invaded Lake Victoria and dams. The invasion has caused very serious economic problems to the communities living around the lake as their economic activities depend on the Lake/dams.  On the Tanzanian side of Lake Victoria, the Socio-Economic Development Trust Fund (SEDTF) embarked on the project of water hyacinth removal and control at the landing beaches of Mwigobero and Nyarusurya of Musoma Municipal and various dams within Mara and nearby...

Assessment conducted by Burundi Red Cross Society, the Government of Burundi and other development partners indicate  that  12,956 people and 2,133 houses in 9 locations were affected by floods in May 2018. Skills and knowledge of communities on disaster mitigation are very important measures to alleviate similar consequences in the future.

The Informed Rural Society (IRS) is a Non-Governmental Organization operating in Geita Region, Tanzania. It is a member of Tanzania National Discourse Forum (TNDF).  IRS has been a champion on environmental conservation in Geita District- Geita Region for over ten years.  In October 2017, IRS launched a school tree planting program called “Mti wangu, Shule yangu, Maisha yangu” literally meaning “My tree, My school, My life”. The project aims at sensitizing and mobilizing secondary school...

The DR Congo National Discourse Forum (DRCNDF) held a consultation meeting with consultants on the trans-boundary Management of Lakes Edward and Albert Integrated Basin Management Plan. The plan is under the second phase of Lake Edward and Albert Fisheries (LEAF 2). The meeting took place on November 16, 2017, and aimed at collecting data on different actors, opportunities and challenges of the basin in order to elaborate the trans-boundary management of Lakes Edward and Albert Integrated...

  The Kenyan Government has directed the Ministry of Environment and Forestry to introduce a monthly national clean-up day to beat  plastic pollution. HE the Vice President William Ruto said this on June 5, 2018 during the celebration of World Environment Day.

The East African Communities’ Organization for Management of Lake Victoria Resources - Tanzania chapter (ECOVIC) is a regional International Non-Government Organization with a Vision of Having a healthy and productive Lake Victoria Basin (LBV); and riparian communities living in a clean productive Lake Basin. The organization has been implementing activities that aim at protecting Lake Victoria's Zone 6 Regions namely Kagera, Mara, Shinyanga, Simiyu, Geita and Mwanza.

Horn of Africa Regional Environment Network (HoA-REN) launched a project on Adaptive Capacity of Khor El Teena Landscape to the Impacts of Climate Change during a workshop held on the 14th of November 2017 in El Obeid Town, North Kordofan state.   The HoA-REN Sudan Chapter to which the Sudan National Discourse Forum (SNDF)  is a member, is now in the process of implementing a project entitled: “Increasing the Adaptive Capacity of Khor El Teena Landscape to the Impacts of Climate Change” to be...

  Water hyacinth is seen as an irritant that clogs waterways, making it harder for boats ferrying passengers or carrying fishermen to navigate Lake Victoria. While water hyacinth poses a threat to some countries, the Organization Centre for Innovations in Science and Technology in Africa (CIST- Africa), proved the contrary by turning it into cooking energy. CIST- Africa; also  member of Kenya Nile Discourse Forum (KNDF) produces 300 litres of biofuel daily that are used by about 540...

The Nile Basin Discourse (NBD) represented CSOs on the regional multi-disciplinary technical task team to interface and provide guidance to the communities of the Nyimur-Aswa project catchment area.  This was in collaboration with the Government of Uganda and other stakeholders during a community dialogue to enhance community participation in the on-going Nyimur-Aswa Multipurpose water project.  The meeting took place in Lamwo District, Uganda from 18th to 23rd March 2018.   The Ugandan team...

  Building capacity of members of Burundi National Discourse Forum (BNDF) is seen as an option to boost their knowledge in mainstreaming gender in all of their action plans. From 16th to 20th November 2017  in Bujumbura, CIDEP (Centre d’appui aux Initiatives locale de Développement et d’Assistance aux Personnes Vulnérables) - a BNDF member in partnership with ACORD-BURUNDI organized a five day training workshop on gender mainstreaming for CIDEP members.

  The Sunut forest lies at the confluence of the White Nile and Blue Nile; at about 164 hectares. It is one of the few remaining urban forests in the Sudan. It falls within the flyway of the migratory birds from Eurasia to Africa and is an important educational site for students, recreational area for Greater Khartoum City dwellers and important site for researchers and bird watchers.  The bird sanctuary extends over 15 kilometers along the White Nile River bank and includes cultivated areas...

  The Uganda National Discourse Forum's affiliated member and a host for the Uganda National Discourse Forum, Center for Participatory Research and Development (CEPARD), was invited in January 2018 to participate in a learning visit to South Sudan during a mid-term review of the ZOA Resilience Recovery for food and Nutrition Security (RRFNS).  This was a cross-boarder engagement that brought many lessons to the Uganda family and also a sharing of best practices in Uganda to the South Sudan...

Recent news has indicated that some material has been imported to strengthen the body of the Merowe Dam.  The Merowe Dam, also known as the Hamdab Dam, is a large dam near Merowe Town in northern Sudan, about 350 kilometres (220 miles) north of Khartoum and 40 kilometres (25 miles) downstream from the construction site at Hamdab. The Dam’s dimension makes it the largest contemporary hydropower project in Africa. It is situated on the River Nile, close to the 4th Cataract where the River...

  The Organization of Journalists against Drugs Abuse and Crime   in Tanzania (OJADACT) under the technical support of The Tanzania Nile Discourse Forum (TNDF) contributed to the public awareness against Lake Victoria Degradation.  The intervention of OJADACT which is member of Tanzania National Discourse Forum, was in line with project entitled “Lake Victoria Region Local Authority Cooperation (LVRLAC)” supported by UN-Habitat and Swedish International Development Agency.

  Some fishermen in Nyanza and Western regions of Kenya use table tennis nets to do illegal fishing in Lake Victoria, an official has revealed. The chairman of Kenya Nile Basin Discourse Forum (KNDF) an affiliate of Save Fish in Lake Victoria Association; Joseph Odongo said the nets are exported to Uganda from Korea before being bought by fishermen from Kenya for fishing in the Lake. Mr. Odongo said most fishermen prefer the illegal table tennis nets because they can last for more than 20...

  The DR Congo National Discourse Forum (DRCNDF) participated at the National workshop that discussed on harmonization of Laws and Policies on fishing and aquaculture at lakes Edward and Albert. The workshop that was held from 1st to 3rd December 2017 in Goma was organized  by the regional Coordination of Lakes Eduward - Albert Fisheries – Phase two ( LEAF2).

  In April 2018, Uganda Nile Discourse Forum (UNDF) witnessed a partnership understanding between one China Corporation and three Uganda based organisations.  The partnership was established between three UNDF member organizations namely Green Efforts Foundation (GEF), Centre for Participatory Research and Development (CEPARD), and Master Links Uganda Ltd and the China National Machinery Import and Export Corporation (CMC).

  Every year on the 27th of January Egypt celebrates the ratification of the law number 4 for the year 1994, and amended to the law number 9 for the year 2009. This year's celebration was attended by environmental experts, Development experts, decision makers, and civil society organizations to discuss the environmental situation in Egypt; its needs, its priorities and the actions that have to be taken from all sectors of the country for effective cooperation and partnership for environmental...

  Reforestation, sustainable farming, and wetlands conservation could significantly slash down the amount of carbon emissions that humanity spews into the atmosphere through fossil fuel use. The Kenya National Discourse Forum (KNDF) Climate Change expert, Mr Peter Omeny, stressed on this during a Climate Change Workshop held at Cicada Hotel, Eldoret in December 2017.

Nile Basin Discourse Forum Rwanda (NBDF) attended the Second Stakeholder Advisory Network (SAN) Committee Meeting held in Washington, DC April 18-19, 2018. The Stakeholders Advisory Network on Climate Finance (SAN) was launched in November 2016 to “advance the engagement of broader non-state stakeholders in the Climate Investment Funds and other climate finance institutes at the country, regional and global levels.”   It was initially overseen by a steering committee of five members from...

As the ten Nile Riparian Countries were celebrating the 12th Regional Nile Day on 22nd February 2018 in Addis Ababa Ethiopia, the DR Congo National Discourse Forum (DRCNDF) was holding a one day conference in Butembo city that focused on management of Lake Edward.    The THEME of the 2018 Regional Nile Day was "The Nile: Shared River, Collective Action.” On the side of DR Congo National Discourse Form (DRCNDF) the day was dedicated to the sub-theme entitled “Management of Lake Edward:...

Uganda National Discourse Forum (UNDF) shares with and learns from the 1st Nile Basin Discourse Summit (NBDS). More than 50 members of the UNDF attended and participated in various sessions of the Nile Basin Discourse Summit 2017 held in Entebbe, Uganda from 29th - 30th November 2017.  Participants benefited from different presentations and discussions on various topics linked with the summit theme “Integration and Inclusion: New Ideas for collaboration in River Basins Management...

  From 19-29 March,2018,the Nile Basin Discourse Forum Rwanda (NBDF) and Partners trained farmers on Climate Change- Impacts & Adaptation for  sustainable agriculture  in Bugesera District.  The training is part of the project entitled “Promoting Sustainable Agriculture in a Changing Climate in Bugesera District. The training was organized in partnership with Rwanda Environmental Conservation Organization (RECOR), the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological (SMHI) Nordic Climate Facility...

  Association of Young Citizens of Lake Edward (AJRLE) in the Democratic Republic of Congo stood up for the protection of Virunga National Park and Lake Edward after an alarming decrease of fish production in the lake due to the illegal fishing by fishing communities. The association also invited the DRC National Discourse Forum (DRC-NDF) to join a two-day awareness raising workshop conducted on 16th and 17th January 2018 in KYAVINYONGE near Lake Edward.

  NBDF Rwanda at the representation of the National Coordinator participated in the Environment and Sustainable Business Development Dialogue. The Dialogue organized by ARCOS and GIZ in collaboration with the Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and Rwanda Water and Forest Authority (RWFA) through its Water for Growth Rwanda (W4GR) Programme focused on “Leveraging adaptation opportunities, involving the private sector in...