IHE Delft 💧 Alumni Online Seminar: Water resources management in changing environments by F. Adongo

Florence Grace Adongo, Executive Director of the Nile Basin Initiative in Uganda and recipient of the IHE Delft Alumni Award 2024, shared insights from her over 37 years of experience in various public service roles within Uganda’s water sector. Adongo provided a brief historical overview of the development of Water Resources Management (WRM) in Uganda, tracing its roots back to the 1992 Rio Earth Summit on Environment and Development. In response to the summit, Uganda became the first country in the world to prepare a Water Action Plan in 1993, embracing the principles of integrated water resources management (IWRM). This pioneering Water Action Plan became a cornerstone for the country’s sustainable water resources development and management. It not only outlined strategies for water management but also laid the groundwork for creating a legal and institutional framework, as well as mechanisms for planning and prioritization. The plan’s impact spurred various studies, fostered multi-sectoral projects, and promoted institutional strengthening and enhanced service delivery. However, these progressive reforms did not come without their challenges. To further enhance water resource management, the Government of Uganda conducted a WRM reform study from 2003 to 2005. The goal was to establish a robust framework for managing the country’s water resources in an integrated and sustainable way. The reform study yielded key recommendations that guided the subsequent WRM actions in Uganda. Adongo discussed the significant progress made in implementing these reforms, which have repositioned WRM in Uganda. She highlighted the outcomes achieved, sharing specific examples and challenges along the way. Her presentation underscored her leadership in advancing IWRM at the national level and her substantial contributions to transboundary water cooperation within the Nile Basin. About the Speaker Florence Adongo is a distinguished professional in Water and Environmental Resources Management, with over 37 years of experience in public service. She earned her MSc in Water and Environmental Resources Management (WERM) from IHE Delft in 1997. As the Executive Director of the Nile Basin Initiative Secretariat (NileSEC), Adongo has played a pivotal role in advancing women’s participation in the field. NileSEC is an intergovernmental organization comprising ten Nile Basin countries: Burundi, DR Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. In October 2023, Adongo began her two-year tenure as Executive Director, with a vision to strengthen the platform for collaboration among Basin countries, encouraging knowledge exchange, dialogue, and the development of common solutions to shared challenges. Under her leadership, the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) is undergoing a significant transformation, with efforts focused on establishing the Nile River Basin Commission—a formal legal institution for Nile cooperation, which is set to be officially established in the coming year.