Environmental Resources and People of the Upper Nile River
The future of the Upper Nile River and its inhabitants depends completely on us. We need to think about three transformation qualities, including practical, political, and structural. The most urgent issues of the Upper Nile River basin include pollution, and changes in water flow (which has adverse affects like decline in usable cropland and animal and people displacement). Pollution is an important issues that falls to the community. To counter pollution of the river, the surrounding countries must work together. On a practical level, for example, there has to be a system for disposing trash other than placing it in the river. Through politics, we can change the structure and appeal to many different people. I would suggest instead of offering a fine for illegal dumping, maybe offer a cash payout (or free meal) when trash is disposed of in the correct manner (such as a landfill). The personal type of transformation is going to be the hardest to implement on the Upper Nile River basin. Not only do we need to shift minds of one country into thinking about the environmental future, we need to influence eight different countries and help them learn to work together. This will not be an easy task and I do not believe that the United States needs to go "white savior" on these countries.
The best way to influence African countries towards a more sustainable future is to provide funding, education, vocational training, and learn about the existing practices and cultures of the specific countries. Let's make sure the consequences of polluting the Nile River are known the surrounding inhabitants. As for the consequences of climate change, the river flow will change affecting crops and displacing people and animals. It is important to keep educating people about the risks of climate change, and maybe that will push the inhabitants of the river to influence individual action and lead to collective action. Let's continue to advocate for clean, safe water sources and healthy, happy people.
