Remarks by the Nile Basin Discourse Board Chairperson Ms. Verdiane Nyiramana

Delivered at the 10th Implementation Support Mission of the Nile Cooperation for Climate Resilience (NCCR) Project
Held on 13th October 2025 – ONOMO Hotel, Kigali, Rwanda

• Hon. DR. Bernadette ARAKUYE, Minister of Environment, Rwanda (NELCOM Chair & NILECOM Member)
• Host TAC
• Executive Director of the Nile Basin Initiative
• Regional Coordinator of NELSAP-CU
• Executive Director of ENTRO
• Representative of LVBC
• Distinguished Members of the World Bank team
• Staff of all IAs present here today
• Ladies and Gentlemen
• Esteemed Technical Staff of the Implementing Agencies—Nile-SEC, NELSAP-CU, ENTRO, LVBC, NBD—and colleagues from across the Basin

On behalf of the Nile Basin Discourse fraternity, it is my great pleasure to join you at this 10th Implementation Support Mission of the Nile Cooperation for Climate Resilience Project. I warmly welcome you all to Kigali, Rwanda.

Allow me to express our deep appreciation to the World Bank’s CIWA Programme and to the NBI leadership for their vision and continued trust in NBD as a partner in advancing inclusive cooperation on transboundary water management.

Under Component 5 of the NCCR Project journey, NBD has been privileged to serve as the civil society voice of this initiative—amplifying the participation of communities, women, and youth in shaping a climate-resilient future for our shared Basin. Through our networks across the ten riparian countries, we have mobilized grassroots dialogues, supported citizen data initiatives, and created platforms that connect local realities with regional policy decision-making.

Our engagement has strengthened legitimacy, broadened ownership, and demonstrated that inclusive governance is not an add-on, but a cornerstone of durable cooperation. The strong participation of women, youth, and community actors in resilience dialogues and policy forums is a testament to the growing maturity and diversity of the Nile cooperation agenda.

We take this opportunity to commend our fellow Implementing Agencies—Nile-SEC, NELSAP-CU, ENTRO, and LVBC—for their technical excellence and unwavering collaboration with NBD, including funding support to sustain our organization. Each has contributed uniquely to the success of this project: from data and analytic services to early warning systems, dam safety, and water quality governance. Together, we have advanced a coherent and resilient Nile Basin architecture.

To the World Bank team, we extend our sincere gratitude for the strategic guidance and consistent support that have enabled the NCCR Project to deliver tangible results and lessons for future cooperation.

As we look beyond this phase, NBD reaffirms its dedication to sustaining the project’s outcomes. We remain committed to nurturing the networks, capacities, and community ownership established under NCCR, and to working with all partners to ensure these gains are institutionalized and expanded in the years ahead beyond the project lifetime.

With continued partnership and shared purpose, we believe the spirit of cooperation fostered by the NCCR Project will continue to strengthen resilience and solidarity across the Nile Basin.

In conclusion, I wish you fruitful discussions as We Say and Remain: One Nile—One Family!!

Thank you for your kind attention.