The Nile: Sharing a Scarce Resource A Historical and Technical Review of Water Management and of Economical and Legal Issues

The environmental history of the past three decades has heightened awareness that the volume of water available in the Nile Basin is not sufficient to meet reliably the current levels of water demand, quite apart from rapidly growing needs. The environmental element of the complex matter of evaluating and managing the international water resource of the Nile is addressed in this volume. The book deals with the global and regional hydrology, examines the scope and emphasis of water resource planning in the Nile Basin over the past century and identifies future options. The material is intended to be relevant to environmental scientists, government officials and water resource professionals in both national and international agencies, as well as those concerned with the environment and hydraulic engineering in the academic community.

The environmental history of the Nile Basin has heightened awareness that the volume of water available is not sufficient to meet modern levels of water demand, quite apart from rapidly growing needs. The environmental element of the complex matter of evaluating and managing the international water resource of the Nile is addressed in this volume. The book deals with the global and regional hydrology, examines the scope and emphasis of water resource planning in the Nile Basin over the past century and identifies future options. The material is intended to be relevant to environmental scientists, government officials and water resource professionals in both national and international agencies, as well as those concerned with the environment and hydraulic engineering in the academic community.

Preface; Introduction; Part I. Environmental History of the Nile and its Management: 1. Origin and evolution of the Nile; 2. History of Nile flows; 3. History of water use in the Sudan and Egypt; 4. East Africa's water requirements: the Equatorial Nile Project and the Nile Waters Agreement of 1929. A brief historical review; 5. History, hydropolitics and the Nile: myth or reality?; Part II. Nile Management and Factors Affecting Future Management: 6. Global climate change and the Nile Basin; 7. Hydrological data requirements for planning Nile management; Part III. Future Utilisation of Nile Waters: 8. Future irrigation planning in Egypt; 9. Future water development planning in the Sudan; 10. Irrigation and hydro-power potential. Water needs in Uganda - an overview; 11. The integrated development of Nile waters; 12. The control of the swamps of the southern Sudan: drainage schemes, local effects and environmental constraints on remedial development; 13. Water balance of the Bahr el Ghazel swamps; Part IV. Economic, International and Legal Issues: 14. Evolving water demands and national development options; 15. The Nile Basin: water management strategies; 16. History of the Nile Basin and Lake Victoria basins through treaties; 17. Principles and precedents in international law governing the sharing of Nile waters; 18. Law and the River Nile: emerging international rules and the Sharia'h; 19. Developing policies for harmonised Nile Waters development and management; Appendix: The Nile economies.

There is increasing awareness that the volume of water available in the Nile Basin is insufficient to meet reliably the current levels of water demand. The environmental element of the complex matter of evaluating and managing the international water resource of the Nile is addressed in this volume.