← Back to all projects

Baro-Akobo-Sobat Water Resources Management Programme and Projects

Water Multi-purpose Reservoir

Overview

Summary

Baro-Akoba-Sobat (BAS) sub-basin has an area of 230,293 km2 covering parts of Ethiopia, South Sudan and Sudan. The Baro and Akobo Rivers originate in southwestern Ethiopia and flow northwest wards into South Sudan before merging to form the Sobat and eventually the Pibor Rivers which then pour into the White Nile. The BAS Sub-basin borders the lower White Nile Sub-basin to the north. The sub-basin faces several challenges that include poverty, population pressure, deforestation, watershed degradation, soil erosion, river siltation, conflicts between and amongst pastoralists and farmers, and wetland pollution at oil fields.

The project was one of several priority projects identified by the Eastern Nile states under the Eastern Nile Multi-Sectoral Investment Opportunity Analysis (MSIOA). The project identification and prefeasibility studies were completed in 2015 with funding from the World Bank under the Nile Cooperation for Results Project (NCORE).

Description

Baro-Akoba-Sobat (BAS) sub-basin has an area of 230,293 km2 covering parts of Ethiopia, South Sudan and Sudan. The Baro and Akobo Rivers originate in southwestern Ethiopia and flow northwest wards into South Sudan before merging to form the Sobat and eventually the Pibor Rivers which then pour into the White Nile. The BAS Sub-basin borders the lower White Nile Sub-basin to the north. The sub-basin faces several challenges that include poverty, population pressure, deforestation, watershed degradation, soil erosion, river siltation, conflicts between and amongst pastoralists and farmers, and wetland pollution at oil fields.

The project was one of several priority projects identified by the Eastern Nile states under the Eastern Nile Multi-Sectoral Investment Opportunity Analysis (MSIOA). The project identification and prefeasibility studies were completed in 2015 with funding from the World Bank under the Nile Cooperation for Results Project (NCORE).


Progress history

  • 2024 Pre-Feasibility planned: Feasibility
  • 2022 Pre-Feasibility planned: Feasibility

Key facts

Programme
Eastern Nile Technical Regional Office (ENTRO)
Status
Active
Countries
Ethiopia, South Sudan, Sudan, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Sudan, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Sudan
Last updated
25 Sep 2026

Financing

USD million
Preparation cost
1.00
Preparation funding gap
0.00
Capital cost (CAPEX)
0.00
CAPEX funding gap
0.00
Operation cost
0.00

Stakeholders

Nile River Basin Program
NRBIP
Ethiopia - Government of Ethiopia
GoET
Government of South Sudan
GoSS
Sudan - Government of Sudan
GoSD
Eastern Nile Technical Regional Office - ENTRO
ENTRO

Source: African Infrastructure Database (AUDA-NEPAD)