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By Denise Kyalwahi
Youth representatives from across the Nile Basin are meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 28–29 October 2026 for the launch of the Regional Nile Youth Network (RNYN). Held under the theme “One Nile, One Youth Voice: Towards a Regional Nile Youth Network,” the conference aims to strengthen cross-border collaboration, climate resilience and youth participation in decisions concerning shared natural resources.
The conference brings together approximately 35 young representatives from the ten Nile Basin countries: Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.
The opening ceremony featured remarks from representatives of Nile Basin institutions and Ethiopian authorities, including Belyou Tekola, a lead executive officer responsible for boundary and transboundary rivers at Ethiopia’s Ministry of Water and Energy, alongside leaders of Nile Basin Discourse (NBD), a regional civil society network.
Making Youth Key Actors in Nile Basin Cooperation
In her opening remarks, Aynalem Ashebir, Chairperson of Nile Basin Discourse, urged young people to make Nile Basin issues a priority and actively contribute to developing sustainable solutions.
She emphasized that young people should not be viewed merely as beneficiaries of development programmes, but as active citizens, innovators and partners capable of addressing the environmental and socio-economic challenges facing their communities.
According to the NBD chairperson, meaningful youth participation in national and regional decision-making is essential to sustainable development, peacebuilding and stronger cooperation among Nile Basin countries.
She also stressed the need to move beyond acknowledging the importance of youth and establish practical mechanisms that enable young people to connect, exchange experiences, develop joint initiatives and bring their concerns to policymakers.
A Regional Network to Connect National Youth Platforms
The launch of the Regional Nile Youth Network marks a new step towards connecting national youth platforms already supported across the ten Nile Basin countries.
According to NBD representatives, the initiative seeks to move youth engagement beyond primarily national activities towards coordinated action across the entire basin. The network is expected to promote dialogue on water diplomacy, transboundary water management, climate action and sustainable development.
During the two-day conference, participants are expected to review progress made by national youth platforms, identify challenges and share lessons learned. Strengthening young people’s knowledge and skills in water diplomacy, transboundary cooperation and climate resilience is also among the meeting’s objectives.
The regional network aims to serve as a platform for coordination, advocacy and collective action while strengthening partnerships among young people, civil society organisations, regional institutions, academic communities and development partners.
Three Pillars for Sustainable Nile Basin Management
In its opening address, NBD also outlined three interconnected thematic pillars guiding its regional work.
The first focuses on knowledge generation and sharing, including citizen-led data collection, learning and the recognition of local communities as producers and custodians of knowledge.
The second centres on transboundary dialogue and regional cooperation, with the aim of building trust among stakeholders and facilitating exchanges on water governance, environmental sustainability and climate resilience.
The third focuses on livelihood development and resilience. It seeks to promote sustainable economic activities, green economic opportunities and climate-smart practices while reducing pressure on natural resources.
Nile Basin Discourse, an independent civil society network with more than 600 member organisations, according to its chairperson, aims to strengthen community participation in decisions concerning the management of the basin’s natural resources.
Turning Commitments into Concrete Action
The initiative is supported by the Cooperation in International Waters in Africa (CIWA) programme and the World Bank through the Nile Civil Society Climate Resilience Project. It highlights the role of young people in developing collective responses to shared regional challenges.
For the organisers, establishing the regional network should be more than an opportunity for national representatives to meet. It should mark the beginning of sustained collaboration, joint initiatives and more meaningful youth participation in decisions shaping the future of the Nile Basin.
In a region where water resources, ecosystems and livelihoods extend beyond national borders, young people’s ability to engage in dialogue and work together is crucial to achieving more inclusive and sustainable management of shared resources.
