oeoo and VeryNile initiate environmental coalition of all Nile riparian states
oeoo and VeryNile initiate environmental coalition of all Nile riparian states
The Nile Coalition, initiated by oeoo and VeryNile, plans to bring together the 10 riparian states of the Nile Basin to agree on concrete steps to protect the river from environmental problems. The coalition will work to achieve the United Nations SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation) and SDG 14 (life below water).
Launch of the Coalition:
The coalition will be launched with an event on 18 September 2021 (World Cleanup Day). The launch event will take place simultaneously in the four countries of Egypt, Uganda, Burundi and Rwanda. Each participating local initiative will officially start contributing to the cleaning and/or reforestation of the Nile on that day.
The goals of the coalition are:
– Raise awareness of environmental conservation through meaningful youth engagement and increase environmental awareness among the general public.
– Take concrete measures to prevent pollution from continuing to enter the Nile (e.g. through laws against single-use plastic and fines for pollution).
– Take concrete measures to eliminate (plastic) waste from the Nile (support local cleaning initiatives on the ground, replicate and scale up successful models, etc.).
Strategy and action plan:
The Nile Coalition will be formed between the Nile Basin countries to initiate the first concrete steps to address the problem of waste pollution in the Nile. The coalition will ensure that members unite and pool their intentions and resources for this environmental problem. The coalition of country representatives will be a driving force to put the protection of the Nile on the agenda of riparian countries, mobilise public support and promote unity and concrete action across borders and governments.
Public relations and social media:
Each participating initiative will receive uniform t-shirts, flags and banners to highlight the unity and solidarity of our new coalition and to depict the diverse environmental actions to conserve water quality. All initiatives take photos of their actions, which are mainly published on the oeoo and VeryNile social media platforms. But all participating initiatives can also share these posts and other pictures.
More initiatives are welcome to join the coalition in the future. This way we can show the international community how far we have already come in the fight for a cleaner environment.
Founding members of the Nile Coalition 2021:
Germany:
One Earth One Ocean
oeoo is the initiator of the coalition. The organisation is concerned with protecting the environment, focusing on water and coastal protection. The aim is to develop and implement the concept of Maritime Garbage Collection for a world without plastic waste and pollutants.
Egypt:
VeryNile
VeryNile is a professional initiative in Egypt that is developing a sustainable way to clean the Nile River while raising awareness about protecting our environment. It works to create an environmentally friendly environment while building cross-sector partnerships to influence the behaviour of people and businesses for a better environment.
VeryNile handles the overall coordination and organisation of the coalition as well as a cleanup around Qursayah Island near Giza to remove all visible pollution.
Uganda:
Uganda Junior Rangers
The Uganda Junior Rangers programme is a non-profit conservation organisation that promotes a culture of conservation and heritage preservation through volunteering and educational opportunities.
The Uganda Junior Rangers in Luzira and Kampala are taking care of cleaning up the lakeshore of Lake Victoria and will work with divers to remove ghost nets from the waters of the Nile.
The team consists of about 20 volunteers.
Greenwatch
Greenwatch works to ensure that every individual in Uganda knows that they have environmental rights and that these rights can be fully exercised through access to information, courts and public participation.
Greenwatch will be planting trees along the shore of Lake Victoria in Entebbe district with about 10 volunteers.
Rwanda:
Red Rocks Initiative
An NGO that aims to promote sustainable development in the Virunga Mountains region of East Africa. It supports environmental conservation and sustainable tourism initiatives driven by communities and local people.
The Red Rocks Initiative is conducting cleanups and will plant 1,000 water-friendly trees along the Mukungwa River, which flows into the Akagera .
The volunteer team is made up of 11 international volunteers and 25 local members.
Burundi:
Association Burundaise pour la protection de la Nature (ABN)
An NGO whose mission is to contribute to the conservation of nature and the sustainable use of natural resources.
ABN is taking care of the removal of water hyacinth from Lake Rweru, 230 km from Bujumbura, and will plant trees in the buffer zone.
The volunteer team in Kirundo consists of about 50 people.