AN ICWC REPORT Stories from the Eastern Nile River Basin Journalists’ reports on the environment This report features 10 articles on water, environment, and politics in the eastern Nile river basin. They are written by journalists from Egypt, Ethiopia, South Sudan and Sudan, being part of the Eastern Nile Journalists’ Network, facilitated by Kerry Schneider and Alexandra Said. Design and editing of the report is by Mats Eriksson, Alex Macbeth and Said Sadat. The views expressed in this publication are those of the individual journalists and do not necessarily reflect those of ICWC or SIWI. Copyright © 2020, International Centre for Water Cooperation (ICWC), hosted by Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) under the auspices of the UNESCO. Cover photo: Blue Nile Falls, Ethiopia. Photo: Alexander Narraina/Shutterstock ISBN: 978-91-88495-20-4 Layout: Greenink (www.greenink.co.uk) Foreword The important work undertaken by journalists SIWI has a long tradition of working closely with the worldwide has gained increased interest and focus in media. Since 2016, SIWI has organized joint regional recent years. We live in an information society, where workshops and supported transboundary interac- we are flooded with news day and night. Nowadays, any tion among journalists in the eastern Nile river basin important event will reach the entire world within much (Egypt, Ethiopia, South Sudan, and Sudan). The Grand less than 24 hours, regardless of which remote corner Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) has been one of where the event may have taken place. Social media have several important matters for discussion. The purpose opened new avenues for information to travel fast, and of the workshops has been to facilitate communica- have also enabled the consumer of the information to tion between journalists across borders, to provide a react and respond to the information provided. platform for exchange of information, and to increase the understanding of diverse perspectives. As a result, While the new information and communication workshop participants have developed a strong network landscape has opened opportunities for increased where they interact regularly, exchanging information transparency and participation, it has also contributed and perspectives as well as helping each other to fact- to the increase in spreading of misleading or false check articles. information. The new media landscape puts additional pressure on credible media sources to provide balanced Recently, the journalists provided a leading example and fact-based reporting, and counteract the spreading of collaboration as they joined hands issuing a joint of mis- and disinformation. This trend can, over time, statement, asking for higher transparency from govern- also threaten the long-term viability of professional ments in reporting from regional negotiations as well journalism and may undermine citizens’ trust in both as encouraging journalists to provide impartial and mainstream media and social media. balanced reporting. At SIWI, we are highly encouraged by the efforts and commitment of the Nile journalists The Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI), and are looking forward to continuing our collabora- through its Shared Waters Partnership programme tion to help the Nile basin population gain access to and the International Centre for Water Coopera- balanced and factual information about their shared tion (ICWC), hosted by SIWI under the auspices of water resources. UNESCO, has supported and facilitated improved transboundary dialogues and cooperation initiatives in This report is produced by ICWC under the auspices the Nile river basin for more than a decade. The basin, of UNESCO. ICWC is hosted by SIWI and facilitates with its 11 riparian states and crucial water resources, research, capacity building, and policy advice on trans- provides a challenging geopolitical situation for trans- boundary water management in connection with peace, boundary cooperation and joint ventures. The media conflict, and regional development. does its part in reporting on both advancements and shortcomings linked to the planning, development, and governance of the important water resource that is the Nile. However, it is not uncommon that reports are biased towards the national perspective and fail to present facts with impartiality and neutrality, and hence Maria Vink to follow established journalism codes of ethics. Clearly, Director, reports with balanced views, highlighting the potential International Centre for Water Cooperation, SIWI added value and win-win solutions that may lie in cooperative planning and development of the shared Stockholm, September 2020 resource, have the potential over time to contribute to greater cooperation in the region. Stories from the Eastern Nile River Basin | 3 Contents Foreword ...........................................................................................................................................................3 1. Introduction .................................................................................................................................................5 2. Journalists’ joint statement .........................................................................................................................6 A call to action from journalists of the Nile .................................................................................................................6 3. The Eastern Nile river basin .........................................................................................................................7 4. Introduction to the journalists’ stories from the Nile ................................................................................9 4.1 Prosopis invasive species aggravating climate stress in Ethiopia and the region ...................................10 4.2 Women and climate change – important linkages ...........................................................................................13 4.3 Over 3 million livelihoods affected in the severe 2019 and 2020 floods in South Sudan ........................15 4.4 Women bear the brunt of flood devastation in South Sudan ........................................................................17 4.5 Climate threatens to reignite conflict in Darfur .............................................................................................. 19 4.6 Rising sea levels pose major risk for future of Alexandria .............................................................................22 4.7 “We need to have cooperation as a system in the whole river basin” ........................................................ 23 4.8 Egypt, GERD, and playing the nationalism card ............................................................................................... 25 4.9 Analysis: Ethiopia and Egypt continue to disagree on GERD dam filling and operation .......................26 4.10 Sudan caught between a rock and a hard place in difficult dam talks ........................................................29 5. Concluding thoughts ..................................................................................................................................31 4 | Stories from the Eastern Nile River Basin 1. Introduction The Nile basin is shared among 11 countries and in the region, should be governed and managed region- coordinated management is crucial for maximizing ally and nationally cannot be disentangled from other the benefits of the water for all riparians. Although social and economic matters of great importance. To cooperation has come a long way since the Nile Basin this end, the role of the media in shaping the views Initiative was established in 1999, there are many and opinions of the general public, and policy- and challenges remaining. The Stockholm International decision-makers alike, cannot be underestimated. The Water Institute (SIWI) has closely followed the Nile media have the power and means to portray matters cooperation over the years and, on a demand basis, has for discussion in more positive or negative dimensions, supported and facilitated activities with the purpose and they can be more or less balanced and impartial to encourage and improve increased interaction, in communicating different views. Thus, it is crucial exchange of experiences, joint learning, and cooperation that the media can carry out their work in an objective linked to the Nile basin water resources. This work manner and with the highest possible access to facts has been carried out in collaboration with the Nile and science-based knowledge. Basin Initiative (NBI) and many other partners and entities linked to the regional development and the SIWI has, since 2016, regularly supported capaci- international development community. SIWI is also ty-building of journalists in the eastern Nile basin collaborating with national governments and civil countries through organizing media training society entities in riparian countries, supporting their workshops and by inviting individual journalists to efforts in transboundary water cooperation. participate in different events. The purpose has been to expose journalists to the latest scientific knowledge During the last decade, the world’s attention has related to water and environment in the basin, been directed to the Eastern Nile river basin and the and to facilitate an increased cross-border interac- construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam tion, exchange of information and experiences,