KIGALI, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- The 10 member states of the Nile Basin Initiative on Wednesday reaffirmed their commitment to continued cooperation to ensure all people living in the basin have water security.
A resolution was announced at the closure of the fifth Nile Basin Development Forum in the Rwandan capital Kigali.
The three-day meeting drew more than 400 participants from member states and across the world.
Closing the forum, Rwanda's Minister of Environment Vincent Biruta said the recommendations agreed in Kigali will inform the regional and national agendas for water resources management and development for the coming years.
The recommendations mirror the Nile Basin Initiative's 10-year strategy and its aspirations, he said.
Technical solutions are available to achieve the objective of water security in the basin, said Innocent Ntabana, secretariat executive director of the Nile Basin Initiative, an intergovernmental partnership of 10 Nile Basin countries -- Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.
Ntabana urged member states to take advantage of the solution pathways that have emerged from the forum and build on the networks established.
By 2050, the population of the Nile Basin countries is projected to more than double from around 400 million to 1 billion.
This, along with changes in the climate and the desired socioeconomic transformation, will put even greater pressure on Nile Basin water resources, according to experts.
The forum featured a number of side events to raise awareness of the latest trends in integrated water resources management, including an exhibition showcasing water-related innovations and policy solutions.
