1. DRILLING AND CONSTRUCTION OF MONITORING BOREHOLES ALONG THE MOHOKARE RIVER
  2. Construction of Three (3) Hydrometric Stations for Department of Water Affairs
  3. Press release- ORASECOM welcomes new head, Executive Secretary – Molosiwa
  4. Project Assistant
  5. Consulting Services to provide technical support and facilitate private sector engagement within the Orange-Senqu River Basin
  6. Executive Secretary: Orange Senqu River Commission
  7. TERMS OF REFERENCE For The Appointment of a Service Provider for The Review of The Estuarine Management Plan (EMP) For The Orange – Senqu River Mouth Estuary
  8. PROCUREMENT, SUPPLY AND DELIVERY OF EQUIPMENT FOR /AI- /AIS NATIONAL PARK AND DREIHUK PROSOPIS HARVESTING SITES, IN NAMIBIA
  9. Consultancy services to facilitate the marketing and sales of prosopis products for /ai-/ais, dreihuk, gibeon and mariental pilot sites
  10. Procurement for supply, installation, training and commissioning of water quality monitoring and laboratory equipment for Orasecom member state of Lesotho
  11. Consulting Services – Water Information System (WIS)
  12. Support to the Orange River Mouth rehabilitation project
  13. Namibia prepares for combating Prosopis
  14. ORASECOM is hiring consultants
  15. 4th SADC Groundwater Conference 10-12 November 2021
  16. Botswana Desalination Plant Project Launched
  17. 39th IAHR World Congress
  18. Water is a matter of life and death – Opinion piece
  19. Webinar: Transboundary Water Management under conditions of Climate and Political Uncertainty: Middle Eastern and South African Perspectives
  20. World Water Week Groundwater Webinar
  21. Interview with Lenka Thamae, Executive Secretary of ORASECOM on the Lesotho-Botswana Water Transfer scheme
  22. Webinar Series: Groundwater – Base Rock of Resilience
  23. Climate Resilient Water Resources Investment Strategy & Plan & Lesotho-Botswana Water Transfer (L-BWT) Project
  24. GIZ
  25. Joint Water Resources Quality Survey (JBS)
  26. FGEF Support
  27. Water Information System (WIS)
  28. Joint Irrigation Authority (JIA)
  29. Water Information System (WIS)
  30. Adequate Rainfall Predicted for SADC October-December Season
  31. Orange-Senqu Basin Wide Groundwater Survey
  32. Fundraising for the Lesotho-Botswana Water Transfer Project
  33. Orange-Senqu River Awareness Kit
  34. International Conference on FRESH WATER GOVERNANCE FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, 5th – 7th November, 2012, Champagne Sports Resort, Central Drakensburg (KwaZulu-Natal), South Africa
  35. 4th Orange-Senqu River Basin Symposium, 6th – 7th June 2012, Campus of the University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
  36. The African Transboundary River Basin Support Programme came to an end
  37. Towards Transboundary Evironmental Assessment Guidelines for the Orange-Senqu River Basin
  38. ORASECOM initiates work on the Orange-Senqu River Learning Box
  39. The ORASECOM Secretariat takes delivery of a three dimensional map of the basin
  40. ORASECOM publishes its “State of the Orange-Senqu River System” Report
  41. ORASECOM initiates work on the Orange-Senqu River Learning Box
  42. Training on Aquatic Ecosystem Health Monitoring
  43. The Urban Pollution Workshop at Mohale Dam
  44. Phase 2 of an IWRM Plan Development Project came to an end
  45. ORASECOM opens the Secretariat offices
  46. ORASECOM is visited by the Volta Basin Authority
  47. Training on Water Resources Yield Simulation Models
  48. ORASECOM at the 3rd Africa Water Week in Addis Ababa
  49. ORASECOM comes of age at 10!
  50. ORASECOM participates in the 13th International RiverSymposium
  51. ORASECOM works with the Benguela Current Commission
  52. Environmental Flows Requirements Site selection and survey for Caledon, Kraai, South Africa & Lesotho
  53. First Delphi Workshop, June 2010, North West, South Africa
  54. ORASECOM Prepares for the Joint Basin Survey – 1
  55. Workshop on Stakeholder Participation – Maseru, Lesotho
  56. Visit of the Nile Equatorial Subsidiary Action Plan group
  57. Visit to Lesotho Flow Gauging Stations

THE LESOTHO-BOTSWANA WATER TRANSFER PROJECT

BRIEF PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The objective of project is to transfer water from Lesotho to Botswana through South Africa, to meet water supply demands in Botswana, the Lowlands of Lesotho and en route parts of South Africa.

A desktop study undertaken in 2015 by the three countries indicated that Botswana, which is arid, will experience bulk water shortages around 2025 unless a major new water source is developed. The expected water shortages could worsen due to climate change. On the other hand, Lesotho has relative abundance of high quality water. Noting that the two countries are in the Orange-Senqu River Basin, and  party to ORASECOM there is an opportunity to transfer water from Lesotho to Botswana through South Africa. In addition to meeting water demands the project also contributes to building resilience to impacts of climate change in the three countries.

The long-term impact of the project will be improved climate-resilient socio-economic development and poverty eradication in the basin. The development of the L-BWT will result in an improved standard of living, inclusive growth, enhanced preparedness and adaptation to deal with vulnerability to climate change impact thus ensuring long-term water security in the basin.

 

 

 

 

Barriers Addressed

The Orange-Senqu River Basin poses complex water management challenges for safeguarding future water security. The central theme of ensuring water security under increased hydrological variability compounded by climate change impact remains the key water resources management problem. There are multiple problems related to deteriorating environmental conditions and lack of inclusive water resources development in some parts of the basin in order to support economic growth and alleviate poverty. The solutions to these problems are to be addressed through optimisation of the water resources development based on balanced economic, social and environmental considerations.

PROJECT COMPONENTS & OUTPUTS

WORK AREAS

The Lesotho Botswana Water Transfer Project is implemented in three countries: Botswana, Lesotho and South Africa. The ambitious project will include the construction of a dam in Lesotho,  supply water for hydro-electric power, domestic and agricultural use over a distance of 700 kilometres (km); incur costs of approximately $2 billion; and work across several populations and languages. It is currently concluding the pre-feasibility study phase.

 

 

 

 

Contacts

L-BWT Project Management Office

Alliance Park, 4 Bowker Road, Maseru, Kingdom of Lesotho

Tel: +266 22314168

Email: pmo@orasecom.org