ifwfabs2

=2-Pager Abstract Template for NBDC Contributions to South Africa Forum=

1. Authors
Authors names: Kees Swaans, Tilahun Amede Project Number: NBDC 5 (coordination and change) E-mail address of lead author: k.swaans@cgiar.org

2. Forum session
4. Basin story – at the beginning of each day we will highlight basin stories these should be persuasive inspiring stories of change



3. Title
"National platform formation in the Nile Basin: a window of opportunity"

4. Key message/highlights
Various national and regional institutions in Ethiopia are engaged in natural resource management, particularly in land and water, for the last 30 or so years but there is very limited forum for them to share experiences, identify gaps and feed key insights to policy makers. After analyzing the successes and failures in establishing platforms, NBDC initiated a national platform along with key national players to facilitate innovation and link research with action. We brought on board more than 80 people from at least 50 organizations/institutes, representing politics, government, research, NGO/CBOs, private sectors, donors, etc. The establishment of a national platform was widely supported, not the least by the Ministry of Agriculture, whose representative indicted that we have been waiting for such an initiative for more than 10 years. The support for a national platform provides a 'window of opportunity', but at the same time we need to ensure that it has an actual impact on the innovation capacity in the system, while avoiding it becoming the latest 'talk-shop'.


 * //Short abstract//** //(150 words) including://

The enthusiasm and support for a national platform is shared by a wide diversity of players and sectors.This is not as obvious as one my think. Ethiopia has had a turbulent history and its governance structure over the past few decades is characterized by top down planning and implementation with limited opportunities for NGOs/CBOs or the private sector. In recent years, however, there has been a change. The extension system has been reformed and participatory approaches and decentralization are embraced. Sectoral integration and evidence based planning are however still in its infancy and requires a lot of work. The NBDC team conducted preliminary analysis of the success and failures in establishing and sustaining task forces, alliances and platforms initiated at different times. At a sensitization workshop in April, it was agreed among participants that a well negotiated national platform can be a mechanism to enhance communication between actors and across sectors for improved land and water management in the Nile Basin or even beyond. A working group of key players had been assigned to organize the first official national platform meeting, which is planned for September. The platform formation is based on a careful process which included actor-landscaping, identification of key issues and driving factors of stakeholder interaction etc. The platform intents to stimulate sharing and learning among actors based on lessons from practice; but it also aims to enhance effective coordination within and across sectors, while addressing institutional and policy constraints. Key strategies will be based on 'local evidence what works', 'engagement', and influence of so called power houses. The whole process will be closely monitored in terms of processes and changes in terms of interactions, practices/habits, and the enabling environment for innovation in land and water management in the Nile Basin.


 * //Add a visual representation (i.e. graph, chart or figure to highlight emerging results)//**

Figure: Nile BDC actor landscape 


 * //Your preliminary highlights for the Forum capitalizing sessions//**
 * //Your message at local, regional and/or global level//
 * //If relevant your message for Africa//
 * //Your key target audience (researchers, practitioners, decision-makers)//

The current situation in Ethiopia provides a 'window of opportunity' to engage and interact with stakeholders at the national level for sustainable land and water management in the Nile Basin; this momentum needs be seized by establishing a national platform, but at the same time it needs to be shaped in such a way that it does not become the latest 'talk-shop', but has some real impact on the innovation capacity within the system; lessons drawn in terms of processes and outcomes will be relevant for researchers, practitioners and decision makers.