Introduction

This chapter is concerned with the history of the treaties for the consumptive utilization of one of the world's largest fresh water basins. Lake Victoria is the second largest fresh water lake in the world after Lake Superior (assuming the waters of the latter can still be considered fresh). The Nile is the longest river in the world. Both basins together are bordered in different degrees by nine states, namely: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, the Sudan, Egypt, Zaire, Burundi and Rwanda. The status of the last two is unique in that they are brought into the basin by virtue of the Kagera River, which drains into Lake Victoria. The entire basin area has been estimated at 2.9 million square kilometres, which represents approximately one tenth of the continent.

Despite these superlatives, the water of the basins or drainage system, is a scarce resource in more than one sense. First, the Nile is a source of livelihood for the desert states of Egypt and the Sudan. A review of the treaties on the consumptive utilization of the Nile and Lake Victoria will show how Egypt has strenuously sought to ensure security of the water flowing down the Nile.

Second, the water is not evenly distributed upstream either over the year or geographically. For instance, Ethiopia contributes approximately 85 per cent of the volume of water which flows annually past Khartoum.