Lesotho to wet dry Botswana
MOSA MAOENG
MASERU – Lesotho is set to sell water to Botswana through a 700km pipeline, according to natural resources minister, Mohlomi Moleko, who made the economically promising revelation at the UN Water Convention workshop last week Thursday.
Moleko outlined that Lesotho is embarking on another cooperation arrangement for transfer of water to Botswana – which is currently experiencing critical water shortage.
To forestall this calamity, a 700km pipeline water transfer project from Lesotho to Botswana is being implemented to address water demands in Botswana, said Moleko.
He said this cooperation is borne out of the benefits of Botswana, Lesotho and South Africa all being parties to Orange-Senqu River Commission (ORASECOM).
He said an agreement will be signed at the appropriate time to formalise the water transfer.
He added that: “From the foregoing it is clear that Lesotho is keen to promote and enhance the already existing cooperation which is being advocated for by 2000 SADC Revised Protocol on shared watercourse for which it is party. It is in this vein that Lesotho has commenced the process of Accession to the UN Water Convention.”
Moleko noted that the UN Water Convention, serviced by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), was adopted in 1992 as a global legal and intergovernmental framework for fostering cooperation in sustainable use, management, and protection of transboundary water resources.
He said it is the only platform in the UN system for convening the global community to exchange and find common solutions to advance transboundary water cooperation.
He said Lesotho indicated its interest in accession by official letter of August 21, 2024, noting that in its process to accede to the convention, Lesotho’s ministry of natural resources has undertaken the following concerted actions, to mention a few.
The ministry has identified and activated an inter-ministerial committee comprising the ministries of foreign affairs, finance and development and ministry of justice and law a technical working group that was guided by the takeaways from the meeting of the parties, including the UN Water Convention Programme of Work 2025-2027.
“It is critical to be mindful of the critical role of transboundary water management in ensuring sustainable development, economic prosperity, and environmental protection. Acceding to the UN Water Convention, will provide us with a legal framework to enhance cooperation with riparian states, prevent conflicts, and ensure the sustainable use of our shared water resources,” concluded the minister.
The United Nations (UN) Resident Coordinator, Amanda Khozi Mukwashi, has noted with a huge concern that climate change, population growth and increasing economic demands are placing immense pressure on global water systems.
This she noted during the national workshop on the Convention on the protection and use of transboundary watercourse and international lake, referred as the UN Water Convention: Lesotho’s National Accession.
She said that in this environment, transboundary water cooperation is not a luxury but a necessity for peace, prosperity and survival. She said for Lesotho, water is not just a resource; it is a strategic national asset and a cornerstone of sustainable development.
Mukwashi added that as a mountainous country blessed with abundant freshwater, Lesotho plays a pivotal in the region’s water security.
She continued that “through projects such as the Lesotho Highlands Water Project and participation in the Orange-Senqu River Commission (ORASECOM), the country has demonstrated its placement of water at the core of its development journey. The proposed water transfer project to Botswana further showcases Lesotho’s ability to exploit its comparative advantage for shared development and resilience.”
Germany’s Honorary Consul to Lesotho, ‘Mantopi Lebofa, said water resources are at risk worldwide and water demand is increasing worldwide with the available water resource additionally threatened by the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution.
She said at the same time, water resources are essential to counter the global crises, adding that it is a challenge, but also an opportunity, that transboundary waters account for 60 percent of the world’s freshwater flows and more than three billion people depend on them.
She said transboundary basins are particularly vulnerable to climate change and in even higher need for protection and cooperation.
Lebofa said the beautiful rivers originating in Lesotho such as the Senqu, the Makhaleng and the Tsoelike Rivers are the lifeline for millions in Lesotho and downstream Southern Africa.
She added that the valuable resource could only be managed through effective transboundary cooperation that takes climate change into account, noting that there is no better catalyst than the Water Convention for this to happen.
