Uganda's leader has cautioned that environmental damage and unsustainable land practices have reduced flow along the River Nile by roughly one-third since 1964, with discharge into Sudan dropping from 60 billion cubic meters annually to approximately 40 billion today. Yoweri Museveni told the United Nations special envoy for the Horn of Africa on Friday, November 7, 2025, that deforestation driven by growing populations reliant on biomass fuel and primitive farming methods poses a greater threat than political disputes over dam construction.
Museveni argued that poverty reduction and economic modernization across basin countries offer the only path to reversing ecological decline. He noted that the Congo River carries far more water than the Nile, suggesting regional cooperation could unlock abundant resources if stability prevailed.
Envoy Guang Cong, who took up his post in July 2025, thanked Museveni for sharing perspectives on linking environmental sustainability with peacebuilding efforts in the region.
Museveni argued that poverty reduction and economic modernization across basin countries offer the only path to reversing ecological decline. He noted that the Congo River carries far more water than the Nile, suggesting regional cooperation could unlock abundant resources if stability prevailed.
Envoy Guang Cong, who took up his post in July 2025, thanked Museveni for sharing perspectives on linking environmental sustainability with peacebuilding efforts in the region.
