Lesotho highland water transfer scheme - water

• Lesotho= poor, landlocked, mostly subsistence farmers, food insecurity but water surplus

  South Africa= Lesotho's richer neighbour but has water deficit
• Solution:

  Build a large scale water transfer scheme (moving water)

  Lesotho:

  Gets energy (HEP) and money

  South Africa:

  Gets water
• Lesotho positives:

  Provides 75% of the country's GDP

  Supplies the country with all it's HEP
• South Africa positives:

  Provides safe water for 10% of the population without access to a safe water supply

  Fresh water reduces acidity in the River Vaal, reservoirs which were polluted due to mining, industry and sewage
• Lesotho negatives:

  Building of the first two dams meant that 30,000 people had to move from their land

  Corruption has prevented money and investment reaching those affected by the construction
• South Africa negatives:

  Costs are likely to reach $4 billion

  40% of water is lost through leakage
• Paper 2