KIGALI - Ministers in charge of water affairs in the Nile Basin Countries are scheduled to meet in Kigali this week to discuss possible ways of mitigating effects of climate change.

The meeting will be the third Nile Basin Development Forum and is expected to draw more than 200 participants from within and outside the Nile Basin countries, including Members of Parliament, environmental experts and international and regional organizations among others.

"Climate change is one of the most daunting challenges to humanity that require regional and global actions to sustain national initiatives in their respective countries,” reads a statement from the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources.

The statement adds that the impact of climate change on the sustainable management and development of water and dependant resources needs to be comprehensively managed and well understood, and for appropriate scenarios and implementable actions to be undertaken.

Experts attending the conference are expected to recognize the current global trends of climate change, its potential impact in the Nile Basin region and the necessity to adapt to expected conditions including loss of species and ecosystems, desertification, droughts, floods, reduced River flow and high temperatures.

Meanwhile a separate statement from the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) indicates that the outcome from the three day forum will include a Ministerial Declaration and a Policy Statement on climate change in the region.

"The forum will also promote a sense of collective responsibility and custodianship regarding the Nile, as well as promote on-going efforts by the Nile Basin Countries to face the challenges of Climate Chang,” reads the statement. 

The Nile Development Forum is a regular event that, starting from 2006, is held after every two years.

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