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DAR ES SALAAM, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- Tanzania will host commemoration of 18 years since the establishment of the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI), authorities said Monday.
A statement by the Nile Basin Initiative Secretariat said citizens from the 10 member states and friends of the Nile will converge in the commercial capital Dar es Salaam on February 22 for the landmark celebrations.
"This is a celebration of the day the Nile Basin countries agreed to collectively take care of and use the shared Nile Basin water and related resources to ensure win-win benefits for the current and future generations," said the statement.
Gerson Lwenge, Tanzania's Minister for Water and Irrigation, said the annual event was marked across the NBI member states of Burundi, DR Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.
"That day, in 1999, marked a major milestone in the history of Nile Cooperation," said Lwenge, adding: "It was the very first time the countries jointly agreed to establish an all-inclusive basin-wide regional institution, to provide a forum for consultation and coordination."
He said over the years, the NBI has focused on activities aimed at assisting member states to achieve their development objectives through Nile Cooperation.
"We have worked together as member states to negotiate and agree on more than 35 investment projects contributing to food, water and energy security in the region," said Lwenge.
The minister added that the projects once fully implemented by the member states will benefit at least 30 million people by 2025.
Lwenge highlighted some of the benefits of the projects to Tanzania as the 80MW Regional Rusumo Falls Hydroelectric project, which will provide an additional 27MW of renewable hydroelectric power to Tanzania, and the Iringa-Mbeya Interconnection that will reinforce the Tanzanian power grid and extend the 400 KV system up to Mbeya and later to Kasama.
In addition, the 400-KV Kenya-Tanzania Interconnection will add 510 kilometres to the existing grid, he said.
The theme of Nile Day for this year is "Our Shared Nile - Source of Energy, Food and Water for All", which will provide an opportunity to highlight the importance of the River Nile in the quest for food, water and energy security in the Nile Basin as well as the interrelationships among the three sectors.
Traversing about 6,695 kilometers, the Nile is one of world's longest rivers, feeding millions and giving birth to entire civilizations. The river is a major source of water for the Nile Basin countries. Enditem
