Case Study: Water

Lesotho

South Africa’s Water Shortage:

• With Africa’s is a country suffering from a water deficit and relies on rainwater as their main source of water for its 58 million inhabitants. 
• Rainwater levels however are unpredictable, unevenly distributed and have been substantially reducing due to the slow escalation of global warming. 
• This has resulted in their water shortage and inadequate water supply for its industrial population centers
• In October 2018 South Africa’s water sources were at 10-60 percent lower in comparison to 2015. 
• Although in 2020 reservoirs started to fill up it is predicted the dry weather forecast will continue and many regions will shortly be facing their day-zero. 

South Africa Water Shortage Impacts:

• Firstly lack of water have affected agricultural practices and irrigation processes. 
• Infrastructure and industrial factories have also been lacking water, eg cooling water system in thermal and nuclear plants. 
• Due to the lack of access to water, there is inadequate sanitation and there have been the spread of waterborne diseases. 
• Those in rural areas also lack water substantially one report stating that in 2007 approximately 15 million lacked access to basic sanitation. 
• Another problem that many regions in Southern Africa face are stolen water sources. Around 35 percent of Durban’s water is illegally given out through connections

Lesotho Water Surplus:

• Lesotho is a landlocked countries encircled by South Africa so due to their neighboring characteristics the transfer of water is made easy. 
• Lesotho is obviously a country blessed with an abundance of water and has an average annual rainfall of approximately 1000 millimeter. This means that bout 50 percent of the water flowing down the orange river falls down as rainfall in Lesotho. 
• The total water consumption in Lesotho is about 2m³/s, while the total availability is about 150m³/s.
• Lesotho’s water also substantially meets the possible future requirements for water and even for possible industrial irrigation systems that will better the standards of living in Lesotho. 
• It’s low sediment and great chemical quality also makes it a great factor. 
• The deep sided valleys provide and excellent dam site and the local dolerite and basalt rocks are great sources to produce the concrete dams with. 

Lesotho Water Highlands Solution:

• The Lesotho highlands water project is a system that transfers water from Lesotho to South Africa. 
• It consists of dams, tunnels, reservoirs and a hydroelectric power plant. 
• The system provides funds to Lesotho by transferring water from the catchment of the orange river to meet the growing demand for water in South Africa’s industrial population centers. 

Lesotho Impacts:

                Pro:

• South Africa pays Lesotho royalties of around
• US$1.5 million a month for this water supply. Lesotho can utilize this money to better education, healthcare and infrastructure.
• The Muela power station generates hydroelectric power for Lesotho.
• Hundreds of kilometers of tarred roads were built in order to improve access to the different construction sites. These tarred roads improved communication for many villages in the mountains. 
• – Around 4000 got temporary jobs at the Katse dam. 

                Con:

• New dams threatened the important alpine fauna of Lesotho Highlands. The 17 hectare Katse botanical garden established in 1995 were built to promote enjoyment and knowledge of the alpine fauna of Lesotho though conservation and cultivation. 
• Flooding has an potential impact on land animals. Any reduction in the flow of the river will also endanger aquatic species. Eg. the Multi Minnow – enjoys very high quality water – and therefore a good indicator of water quality – is being monitored.