Nile Transboundary Environmental Action Project, Tranche 1

The objective of the proposed GEF PDF B Project is to develop the transboundary management element of the larger Nile River Basin Initiative , a long-term regional cooperative program that seeks to eradicate poverty and promote sustainable development of this important shared resource. The PDF Block B Grant will support the riparians, working with the UNDP and the World Bank, to prepare the GEF-eligible incremental elements of the “Basin-Wide Shared Vision Program.” This will be achieved through use of a broad-based participatory process to identify, define and mobilize resources for a series of priority actions for stakeholder involvement and awareness; water and environmental management; and applied training, institution and capacity building. These elements will be integrated into the larger Initiative and the ongoing definition and design of a large-scale regional investment program. As part of this process a transboundary analysis will be prepared to support prioritization of activities and guide the future use of GEF funding. The proposed GEF basin-wide Project will serve to implement the priority recommended actions in the context of the Nile Basin Initiative and support environmental management of transboundary resources as a major theme of this program. The proposed basin-wide full GEF Project will be an integral element of the Initiative that will support activities of the basin-wide Shared Vision Program in three areas to be defined in detail under the PDF: (i) confidence building and stakeholder involvement; (ii) integrated land-water resources and environmental management; and (iii) applied training, institution and capacity building.