Lesotho Water Transfer - Case Study

• lesotho is a landlocked, highland country in south africa
• lesotho has very few resources and high levels of poverty, it is heavily dependent economically on south africa
• lesotho is unable to feed its growing population and most farms are for subsistence
• south africa has an increasing demand for water due to urbanisation, economic growth and a dry climate
• two aims of the project:

  • provide lesotho with a source of income in exchange for water to an area where majority of industrial/mining activity occurs
  • to generate hydroelectric power for lesotho
• the transfer:

  1. katse and mohale dams store water that is transferred to the mohale reservoir
  2. it is then transported through a 32km tunnel to south africa
  3. when complete, 5 dams and 200km of tunnels will transfer 2000 million m^3 of water to south africa anually
• advantages for south africa:

  • provides safe water for 10% of the population
  • influx of water is restoring the balance
  • provides water for those who don't have it
• disadvantages for south africa:

  1. costs are likely to reach $4 billion
  2. 40% of water is lost through leakages
  3. corruption has plagued the project
  4. increased water tarrifs to pay for the scheme are too high for some people
• advantages for lesotho:

  • provides 75% of GDP
  • sanitation coverage will increase from 15% to 20%
  • income from the scheme will help development
  • water supply will reach 90% of the population of the capital
  • supplies the country with all its HEP requirements
• disadvantages for lesotho:

  • building the first two dams meant 30,000 people had to relocate
  • corruption prevented money and investment from reaching those affected by construction
  • destruction of a unique wetland and ecosystem due to lack of control of regular flooding downstream