From 4-6 May 2011, project teams from the Nile Basin Development Challenge meet in Addis Ababa in a ‘science and reflection workshop.’ We asked Deborah Bossio from the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) to explain the purpose of this meeting.
Why this meeting? According to Bossio: The NBDC was launched just over a year ago and this meeting is an opportunity for participants to review progress, gaps and plans.
It is organized around several main themes:
First, to get clarity on the key ‘rainwater management’ concepts and frameworks for analysis and how these are best made operational across the various NBDC projects. She highlights scale as a major research challenge – we work across various scales, from local, through landscapes, to basins, with impacts beyond. We need to be sure our analysis and results work across scales.
Second, to examine our experiences with key enabling processes, such as innovation system platforms, policy dialogues, co-learning processes, and stakeholder workshops.
Third, we will review the ‘nuts and bolts of the science’ – how are we doing in relation to water productivity and hydrology, livelihood impacts, and ecosystem services
The 3 main outcomes she aims for are: 1) common understanding among participants of basic concepts and frameworks; 2) ideas and plans how we can take forward the results already emerging from the various projects; and 3) an assessment of our scientific progress, the quality of the research, and gaps identified that need attention.
Nile Basin Development Challenge 
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