3.2.3.3 Water: Lesotho Highland Water Project - Large Scale Water Transfer Scheme Case Study Flashcards
Where is Lesotho located?
highland country in southern Africa surrounded by the country of South Africa
How many resources does Lesotho have and how prevalent is poverty there?
- few resources
- high levels of poverty and unable to feed its growing population
What are most farmers for in Lesotho?
- most farmers are for subsistances
- productivity is low
What country is Lesotho heavily dependent on?
heavily economically dependent on South Africa
How much water does Lesotho receive?
water surplus - mountains receive high rainfall and the demand for water is low
How much water does South Africa receive?
suffers from a water shortage esp. May to September
What was the Lesotho water transfer scheme aimed at?
aimed at helping South Africa with their water shortage
Once completed what % of water will be transferred from Lesotho to South Africa
40% from the Segu (Orange) River in Lesotho to the River Vaal in South Africa
What does the Lesotho Highland water project involve?
involves the construction of dams, reservoirs, pipelines as well as roads, bridges and other infrastructure developments
How long will the Lesotho Highland Water Project take to complete?
30 years to complete
Since 2020 how many tunnels have been built and how much water is transferred to South Africa every year from Lesotho
- 200km of tunnels
- 2,000mn m3 of water transferred to South Africa every year
How many dams have been built as part of the Lesotho highland water project?
- 5 different dams built
- Katse, Mohale, Polihali, Tsoelike and Ntoahea
How is water transferred to South Africa and what does this also enable?
- water transferred to South Africa via 32km tunnel
- enabling HEP to produced at the Muela plant
Why is the Lesotho Highlands a good place for a dam?
- high precipitation and high water source
- impermeable rock
- undeveloped space
- LICs so need investment for economy to grow
- population to provide labour
What % of Lesotho’s GDP does the LHWP provide?
75% of its GDP
What does income from the LHWP help improve in Lesotho?
income from the LHWP helps development and to improve the standard of living
What does the LHWP supply Lesotho with?
supplies the country with all its HEP requirements
How haw transport infrastructure been improved in Lesotho as a result of the LHWP?
improvement to transport infrastructure with access roads built to the construction sites
What % of the population will water supply reach in Lesotho as a result of the LHWP?
water supply will reach 90% of the population in the capital, Maseru
How does the LHWP help South Africa with water supply?
provides water to an area with an uneven rainfall pattern and regular droughts
To what % of the population in South Africa does Lesotho provide safe drinking water to?
provides safe drinking water to the 10% of the population without access to a safe water supply
How does fresh water from LHWP help South Africa’s river?
- fresh water reduces the acidity of the Vaal River Reservoir
- water pollution from industry, gold mines and sewage was destroying the local ecosystem
- the influx of water from Lesotho is restoring the balance
How many people had to move from their land in Lesotho due to the building of the first 2 dams in the LHWP?
30,000 people had to move from their land due to the building of the first 2 dams
How has the environment been negatively impacted in Lesotho due to the LHWP?
destruction of a unique wetland ecosystem due to control of regular flooding downstream of the dams
What has corruption prevented in Lesotho?
corruption has prevented money and investment reaching those affected by the construction
What will the construction of the Polihali dam do in Lesotho as a part of the LHWP?
- will displace 17 villages
- reduce agricultural land for 71 villages
What are the costs of the LHWP for South Africa?
costs likely to reach US$4bn
What % of the water is lost through leakages in the LHWP?
40% of the water is lost through leakages
What has the high cost of the LHWP led to?
increased water tariffs to pay for the scheme are too high for the poorest people
How has corruption impacted the LHWP?
corruption has plagued the whole project
