The World Bank (WB) and the Lake Victoria Basin Commission on 28th April 2022 discussed the status of implementation for the Nile Cooperation for Climate Resilience (NCCR) Project jointly implemented by LVBC, Nile Basin (NBI) and other partners in Lake Victoria Basin and the Nile Basin.
The WB is the financing agency of the project and LVBC is implementing the sub-component on Water Quality Policy harmonization in the Lake Victoria Sub-Basin allocated US$ 0.75 million for a period of three (3) years. The overall objective of NCCR project is to improve mechanisms for cooperation on water resources management and development in the Nile Basin.
The discussions held at LVBC Secretariat Kisumu, Kenya aimed at generating a shared understanding on the project implementation and the planned actions moving forward. Aide memoire and management letter will be issued and signed by partners.
Opening the meeting, Isaac Nyarwaya, the acting Executive Secretary for LVBC applauded the WB’s partnership with LVBC spanning many years as evidenced by the Lake Victoria Environment Project (LVEMP) two phases.
He noted, the partnership generated ample lessons to inform the present and future project endeavors. “We have leant a lot of lessons which act as potential for growth.”
He also pointed out several studies to be generated by the Nile Cooperation for Climate Project would inform future programming and investments in the EAC Partner States.
Nyarwaya noted, project operationalizes the EAC/LVBC-NBI Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for harnessing mutual and sectoral interests for the two basin-based institutions.
He also cited a range of programmatic and sectoral focus areas in LVBC Strategic Plan which would be centrally interesting for furthering partnership.
According to the World Bank Project Implementation Support Mission team, the project completion is left with 14 months. The project status as of April 2022, the World Bank noted, is satisfactory. It was also noted, the likelihood of project achieving Project development Objective is satisfactory, according to World Bank project evaluation rating criteria.
While inter-agency coordination improved during the implementation phase of the proejct, Shyam KC, the Senior Water Resources Management Specialist urged for its improvement for successful realization of the project objectives. He also stressed the importance of relationship between regional implementing agencies and the national focal points (persons).
