One of the main objectives of the Nile BDC is to facilitate an institutional structure for joint learning and exchange between different actors working on land and water management in Ethiopia at the national level.

In close collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and other partners, the Nile BDC aims to establish a broad based multi-stakeholder platform that would allow knowledge sharing and joint planning across institutions and organizations. The aim is to improve interactions between the key players, projects, and networks working on improved land, water and rainwater management, to identify barriers and opportunities, and develop strategies of addressing those challenges and to create an enabling institutional and policy environment.

To take this agenda forward, on 8 April 2011 the NBDC organized a national platform meeting in Addis Ababa. Some 50 people representing ministries, regional bureaus, research institutions, NGOs, networks, donors, and the private sector participated in the meeting.

Through presentations of some major project and networks, participants worked in groups to define the key elements of a national platform: i.e. a vision and scope, its functions and modalities, the roles of communication, how to engage policymakers, as well as issues and target groups that need to be included.

It was decided that ILRI and IWMI will establish a working group with major players and networks to work out the details and to plan a next platform meeting.

Download a report of the meeting

View an introductory presentation by Kees Swaans and Ranjitha Puskur on the need for such a platform:

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