Approved project | PIDA PAP 2

Approved project

Lesotho Botswana Water Transfer

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Basic Information

Project Title	Lesotho Botswana Water Transfer
PIDA Sector	Trans-boundary Water
PIDA Sub-sector	Water Transfer
Member States	Botswana, Lesotho, South Africa
Region	Southern Africa
Beneficiary Countries	Botswana, Lesotho, South Africa
Regional Economic Community	Southern Africa Development Community (SADC)
Project Institution	Joint Study Management Committee, ORASECOM Secretariat

Strategic Alignment and Regional Commitment

Source in the National Master Plan	Lesotho Water and Sanitation Strategy, Botswana National Development Plan
Source in the REC Master Plan	ORASECOM IWRM Plan, Regional Infrastructure Development Master Plan
Brief Description of the Project	Water transfer from Lesotho to Botswana across South Africa, to meet water supply demands in Botswana, Lesotho and en route parts of South Africa. It involves construction of a multipurpose dam along Makhaleng River in Lesotho and conveyance system from Lesotho to Botswana. Various foreseen water uses include domestic, industrial, irrigation, hydropower generation and environmental water requirements.
Objective and Rationale for the Project	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, and upstream of Botswana. Noting that the two states are in the same Orange Senqu River Basin, and both party to ORASECOM, there is an opportunity to transfer water from Lesotho to Botswana through South Africa. The transfer is anticipated to meet water demands of Botswana, Lesotho and en route parts of South Africa, and build resilience to impacts of climate change in the three countries.
Location/Site	Dam in Lesotho. Conveyance system in Lesotho, South Africa and Botswana
Image/Map Files	Slide1-2.jpg
Existing or Planned Projects along the proposed project	The project serves a planned infrastructure asset of another sector, but there is less than 50% overlap in the geography serviced by the proposed project and the other sector planned asset.
Technical Specifications of the Project	Although studies are ongoing, indicatively about 75% of the yield from the proposed dam in Lesotho is foreseen for water demands in Botswana.
Market Size	To be fully clarified by Feasibility Studies. However, it is anticipated that over 3.0 million people could benefit from the project through utilisation of the water as it traverses from Lesotho, through South Africa and then into Botswana. Various foreseen water uses include domestic, industrial, irrigation, hydropower generation and environmental water requirements.
Project Financial (in USD)	About 3.004 billion (about $3.0 billion for construction, and $4.0 million for studies)
Gender Procurement actions	Application of national policy and legal framework, ORASECOM and SADC framework on gender
Last Milestone Known	S2A - Pre-Feasibility

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