5 November 2012: A new book published by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) Challenge Program on Water and Food provides an in depth analysis of water, agriculture, governance and poverty challenges in the Nile River.

The analysis suggests that there is enough water to support agriculture in all countries but that poor smallholders risk being marginalized unless effective water management policies are put in place. It stresses that with the development of new dams and the new country of South Sudan, additional science-based policy is necessary.

The book, titled “The Nile River Basin: Water, Agriculture, Governance and Livelihoods,” calls for improved agricultural water management that does not rely solely on large-scale irrigation schemes. It stresses that the poor often live further away from water sources and that they would benefit from greater access to the Nile Basin. Furthermore, it argues that policy makers should look beyond using water for crop production, and suggests that a Nile Basin Commission to manage the river could play an important role in the region’s agriculture, socio-economic development and regional integration. The book also reports that conflict is overexaggerated in the region and that countries tend to cooperate on sharing water, citing recent agreements between Egypt and Ethiopia. [Book Webpage]