Fears over climate induced water scarcity
MOSA MAOENG
MASERU – The Orange-Senqu River Basin faces a significant and growing challenge – water scarcity driven by the high variability of rainfall resulting from climate change. Noting this at the Orange Senqu River Commission (ORASECOM) Climate Resilient Investment Conference held yesterday (Thursday), the ORASECOM Leader of Delegation for Lesotho and Principal Secretary Natural Resource, Relebohile Lebeta, noted that if the responsible parties do not act decisively, increasing water demand and deteriorating water quality will have serious implication for livelihoods, ecosystems and economic activities across the basin.
She noted that left unaddressed, these pressures can exacerbate political and economic tensions among the Basin States. She said it is basically to tackle such shared challenges that the Basin States established ORASECOM, to foster the joint development, sustainable management and conservation of the transboundary water resources.
Lebeta said: “Over the past two decades, with the support of development partners, ORASECOM has advanced important assessments and studies, including the Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis, which revealed critical environmental degradation across the Basin.
These findings informed the development of a Strategic Action Programme (SAP), aimed at addressing the root causes of these challenges,”
She described the conference as the gateway to discussing a number of infrastructure development opportunities that have been rigorously assessed and agreed upon by the Basin States, with implementation timelines stretching to 2050.
She said to maximize the socio-economic benefits of these investments, it is essential that environmental sustainability and water resources management remain at the core of the planning and implementation of the government.
Lebeta continued that ORASECOM continues to play a crucial role as a neutral platform for dialogue, knowledge-sharing, capacity development and evidence-based and decision-making in the Basin.
She particularly highlighted two key infrastructure projects where ORASECOM serves as an executing agency including the Lesotho-Botswana Water Transfer (L-BWT) Project (involving Botswana, Lesotho and South Africa with Namibia as an observer) as well as the Noordoewer-Vioolsdrift Dam Project (jointly developed by Namibia and South Africa).
On the other hand, Mohlomi Moleko, Minister Natural Resources, had also supported the increasing challenge of the basin from climate change, droughts, floods, rising demand and ecosystem degradation. He said the Climate Resilient Investment Plan which the conference showcases, responds directly to these pressures.
He said it is an integrated, basin-wide framework that prioritises strategic interventions that are bankable, scalable and designed to build the long-term climate resilience of the people and the economies.
He said the plan is the result of deep consultations across and within all four basin states noting that it builds on ORASECOM’s foundational Integrated Water Resources Management Plan 2014 and identifies core infrastructure projects and strategic actions ranging from strengthening water governance and early warning systems, to advancing major multipurpose infrastructure and nature-based solutions.
Moleko said the projects presented are national, bilateral and regional in nature offering a range of fin acing and partnership opportunities.
He said as the countries embark on the next chapter of investment mobilization, it is imperative to do so with a shared sense of purpose that the future of the Orange-Senqu River Basin must be one of resilience, equity and prosperity for all.
High Commissioner of Botswana to Republic of South Africa, Dr Sanji Monageng, noted that the Lesotho-Botswana Water Transfer (L-BWT) project idea was tabled to ORASECOM ministers’ meeting in March 2011 and the Memorandum of Understanding to Deliver Desktop Study was signed in March 2013; by the three riparian countries which are Botswana, Lesotho and South Africa.
She noted that the project as proposed does not only enhance investment on transboundary water security and building resilience to climate change.
She said the L-BWT project has a big potential for a Public Private Partnership scheme, similar projects have been developed, albeit in different sectors like energy where Botswana has delivered those projects using the same model in the past. She noted that the need for the State’s increased cooperation in the water sector therefore cannot be over emphasized.
The South African Ministry of Water and Sanitation Deputy Minister, Isaac Sello Seitlholo, said the Climate Resilience Strategy and Plan recognises that the high level of variability in precipitation due to climate variability and change defines the need to optimize and implement efficient water resources development and management in the basin.
He said the development of new infrastructure to meet increasing water demands, even if technically and environmentally feasible, is both expensive and complex.
He noted that the economic considerations of water use have been identified as a key part in the planning and optimal use of what would become an increasingly scarce and expensive resource. He said projects of future water demand and associated infrastructure development must be based on balanced consideration of economic, social and environmental factors.
“The integration of water resources yield analysis, water resources development planning and economic optimization would ensure the development of short, medium and long term solutions to address basin water resources needs and development challenges,” said Seitlholo.
The Orange-Senqu Strategic Action Programme (SAP) is a negotiated document that provides a basin-wide framework for the implementation of a prioritized set of national and joint transboundary actions and investments for addressing jointly agreed priority environmental concerns in the Orange-Senqu river basin.
Overall coordination and monitoring of the SAP is through the ORASECOM Secretariat where relevant, in conjunction with national government structures using their established coordination and monitoring structures and systems.
