This article presents data illustrating the networked structure of the water sector in two Nile Basin states, Egypt and Ethiopia. Social network analysis is applied to quantify network characteristics. Implications for water policy design and implementation processes are discussed. Governmental agencies occupy the most central network positions in both countries. Intersectoral cooperation is weak, impeding effective policy integration. The limited connectedness to nonstate actors prevents the central policy makers from tapping all available expertise and implementation capacities. International donor agencies play an important role by connecting different types of actors. The higher prominence of NGOs and decentralized water authorities in the Ethiopian water sector indicates a comparably higher potential for pluralistic policy making. Social network analysis is found to be a useful tool to highlight cooperation patterns in the water sector, but its utility for explaining policy processes without supplementary qualitative information is limited.
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