ENTRO (the Eastern Nile Technical Regional Office), is one of the three Centers of the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI). Established in 2002, and is headquartered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. ENTRO is a common institution of Egypt, Ethiopia, Sudan and South Sudan mandated to promote sustainable sub-basin cooperation by implementing the joint water resources development program of the three countries – the Eastern Nile Subsidiary Action Program (ENSAP). ENTRO also provides secretariat services to the Eastern Nile Council of Ministers of Water Affairs (ENCOM), the highest policy and decision-making body for ENSAP.

CORE FUNCTIONS

1. Promoting Cooperative Water Resources Development The primary purpose of the setting up of ENSAP and of ENTRO is to promote cooperative water resources development among Egypt, Ethiopia, South Sudan, and Sudan and. Eastern Nile cooperation is premised on the conviction that regional cooperation through water resources investment projects (such as irrigation, hydropower, watershed and management) promises more win-win benefits to these countries, including benefits “beyond water”, compared to solely national focused-based approaches. This conviction was clearly enunciated in the 2020 Operational Vision for the ‘Eastern Nile’ at the 6th Eastern Nile Council of Ministers of Water Affairs (ENCOM) Meeting in Addis Ababa in January 2001:

“… strong economies which will be working together and will be globally competitive. This will be achieved by economic integration through joint physical, social, and economic infrastructure. The Eastern Nile sub-basin will be characterized by: integrated multi-purpose projects in power development and pooling, transport, and irrigated agriculture; free movement of goods and services; and active inter-country private sector cooperation, including high-technology industry. Together, this will provide an enabling environment for inward investment and export of goods and services beyond the sub-basin, all within an environment of trust, peace, and political stability. Within this overall vision, the River Nile will serve as a key catalyst, with its yield increased and utilized in a rational, fair, efficient, and environmentally sustainable manner, with effective flood and drought management, watershed management, reversed desertification, and pollution control. The economic risk associated with climate variability will be greatly lowered through integrated inter-country water management, including effective rainwater harvesting and use. Basic needs –such as water supply and sanitation services – of all the population will have been met in targeted poverty eradication programs. A sound institutional and legal framework for cooperation will be in place, with high levels of confidence and trust, and a strong record of promoting successful joint, w in-w in projects. This will be coupled with strong capacity and phased implementation plans, linked to restructured and shared education, training, and research programs.”

ENTRO was mandated, accordingly, to carry thru this Vision by identifying and preparing cooperative water resources investment projects. ENTRO was also instructed by ENCOM to adopt best practices and international standards to ensure that the projects are socially equitable, economically feasible and socially sustainable. The first set of jointly agreed Investment Projects – the Integrated Development of Eastern Nile (IDEN) – have been prepared and handed over to the countries for implementation.

ENTRO is striving, amidst extreme current difficulties, to discharge its responsibility of promoting cooperative development of the Eastern Nile water and related common resources by preparing joint water resources investment projects.

2. Cooperative Water Resources Planning and Management Cooperation in joint water resources investment assumes symmetry among the Eastern Nile countries in terms of capacity. This function of ENTRO focuses on narrowing asymmetries, by building the capacities of national-level water resources professionals in several domains of water resources planning, including hydrological data and information generation, knowledge building and knowledge sharing, and analytical capacities - including modeling and simulation capabilities that are critical for generation and selection of investment options and scenarios that maximize development impact, mitigate adverse social and environmental and optimize water use within existing constraints. This function also pertains to building capacities to better manage existing water infrastructure - such as dams and irrigation schemes (e.g. dam safety, coordinated operation of a cascade of dams); establishing environmental (flow) requirements; sediment and water quality monitoring; periodic assessment of basin resources; climate change related capabilities (flood and drought forecasting, preparedness) - and to formulate and implement basin-wide policies on a wide range of issues including environmental management (e.g., wetlands, biodiversity, etc.).

3. Providing a Platform for Cooperation This function of ENTRO focuses on providing the requisite dialogue and consultation platforms for cooperation through multiple avenues. ENTRO provides secretariat services to the ENCOM, the highest governance body, and facilitates its technical arm the ENSAPT (Eastern Nile subsidiary Action Team). So far ENTRO has provided Secretariat Services to 32 Ministerial Meetings (ENCOM).

ENTRO also provides a platform for promoting stakeholder participation in ENSAP, particularly for local communities for whom projects are to be identified and prepared for implementation, to ensure sustainable social development and environmental outcomes. Following IWRM principles, ENTRO provides a forum for networking with and engaging a wide array of stakeholders that have vested interest in Nile water resources such as civil society groups, environmental groups, private sector, research and academia community, and the media. Together with the hosting countries,

ENTRO facilitates the organization of large multi-stakeholder platforms such as the Nile Basin wide Nile Basin Discourse Forums (NBDF) and Regional Nile Day Celebrations.

Apart from coordinating and working with the other NBI Centers, ENTRO also regularly interacts and builds partnerships and collaboration with the development partner community and with academic institutions within and outside the sub-basin.

Further, in a bid to improve accurate and constructive media coverage about Nile Basin cooperation, ENTRO provides media training to Eastern Nile communication professionals.

ENTRO also works to enhancing the visibility of Eastern Nile cooperation, thru program communication (i.e. building support for ENSAP, projects; taking part in ENSAP projects, benefiting from ENSAP projects such from flood and drought early warning), advocacy communication (i.e. creating awareness about critical issues such as climate change adaptation and mitigation and halting biodiversity loss); corporate communication (i.e. increasing visibility of ENTRO); and internal communication (building collaboration and team work within ENTRO).

STAFF