King Letsie III crowned a Global Water Change-maker

• Honoured at major Africa Summit for transformative leadership in water security and regional cooperation
• Spotlighting Lesotho’s vital role as SADC’s water engine

TEBOHO KHATEBE MOLEFI

MASERU – In a powerful recognition of visionary leadership in water security, King Letsie III was named a recipient of the prestigious Presidential Global Water Change-makers Award at the landmark AU-AIP Africa Water Investment Summit, held from August 13 to 15 in Cape Town, South Africa.

The award specifically honours King Letsie III for his pivotal role in “advancing water security and regional cooperation in Southern Africa through the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP).”

This accolade places Lesotho squarely at the heart of a continental conversation on water as a driver of economic transformation, peace, and regional integration.

The summit, convened under South Africa’s G20 Presidency, brought together over 1 700 delegates, including African heads of state, water ministers and global investors. Its core achievement was identifying preliminary annual investment pipelines worth an estimated M185 to 222 billion (US$10–12 billion) to help close Africa’s M566 billion (US$30 billion) water investment gap.

For Lesotho, the recognition of its monarch is a testament to a decades-long national project of profound regional significance. The LHWP is one of the world’s largest and most ambitious binational water transfer schemes. By harnessing the natural water wealth of the Maloti, the LHWP provides Lesotho with hydroelectric power and a significant source of royalty income, while delivering a critical water supply to the industrial heartland of South Africa.

This strategic role transforms Lesotho from a participant in water affairs into a foundational pillar of regional water security and economic stability. The LHWP is one of the world’s largest and most successful binational water transfer schemes, a tangible example of how water cooperation can foster development and strengthen diplomatic ties.

The award signals to global investors and development partners that Lesotho is a proven, reliable and strategic destination for future water infrastructure investments. It validates its long-term commitment to managing its vast water resources not only for national benefit but for the stability and prosperity of the entire SADC region.

By honouring King Letsie III, the summit did more than celebrate a single leader, it acknowledged Lesotho as a key player in achieving continental water goals.

As the world prepares for the 2026 UN Water Conference, Lesotho’s model of regional hydropolitics, exemplified by the LHWP and championed by the King, offers a blueprint for how transboundary water cooperation can be a powerful force for sustainable development and climate resilience.

The recognition positions Lesotho not merely as a beneficiary of international water forums, but as a leading voice and essential partner in shaping the future of water investment and security, both in Africa and across the globe.

The three-day summit was described by South Africa’s President, Cyril Ramaphosa, as a “landmark moment not only for Africa, but for the global movement for access to safe water for all.”

He set the tone for the event, stating that “if we rise together, water can become not just a means of survival but a driver of economic transformation, innovation and peace.”

The Presidential Global Water Change-makers Awards were a centrepiece of the summit, designed to celebrate the governments and leaders driving the transformative action the world desperately needs. The awards were presented jointly by President Duma Gideon Boko of Botswana, the invited Chair of the Change-makers Awards, and King Mswati III of eSwatini, the invited patron.

Alongside King Letsie III, five other global leaders were honoured for their bold commitments, President Ramaphosa who was recognised for hosting the historic summit under South Africa’s G20 Presidency and for launching the G20 Presidential Legacy Initiative, the Global Outlook Council on Water Investments. His leadership provided the crucial platform for this global gathering.

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, was honoured for his global leadership in water and climate. This includes the UAE’s hosting of COP28 and its commitment to co-host the pivotal 2026 UN Water Conference with Senegal, placing water at the top of the global climate and sustainability agenda.

President Bassirou Diomaye Faye of Senegal, celebrated for agreeing to co-host the 2026 UN Water Conference with the United Arab Emirates and for championing Africa’s voice and priorities in global water diplomacy, ensuring the continent’s needs are heard loud and clear, was also recognised.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania was honoured for her government’s extraordinary pledge of USD 6 billion in domestic resources for the Tanzania Water Investment Programme by 2030. This commitment sets a powerful example of national ownership and fiscal prioritisation of water security.

While Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia was acknowledged for two key initiatives, launching the new Global Water Organisation (GWO), which aims to enhance international cooperation in water sustainability and for initiating the G20 Water Dialogues during Saudi Arabia’s G20 Presidency in 2020, which laid early groundwork for the summit’s global focus.

These awards, convened by the Global Water Partnership Organisation (GWPO) together with the AIP High-Level Panel and K-Water, underscored the summit’s core themes of innovation, leadership, and accountability.

Beyond the awards, the summit saw the launch of a key institution, the Global Outlook Council on Water Investments. Launched as a G20 Presidential Legacy Initiative of South Africa, the Council is designed to be the world’s premier high-level political and investment platform on water.

President Ramaphosa outlined its mission: “The Global Outlook Council and the Global Water Investment Platform will… track progress, unlock finance, report annually, and align efforts across the G20, UN, multilateral development banks and the private sector.”

The Council will be supported by a group of global leaders serving as Council Champions.

Retno Marsudi, Special Envoy for Water of the UN Secretary-General, accepted this role, stating, “It is a great honour for me… a demonstration of trust to the United Nations in our endeavour in addressing the needs faced by the countries and the people on the ground.”

Former President of Tanzania, Jakaya Kikwete, also commended the initiative: “These are not mere new committees, they are instruments to mobilize capital at scale and align policy and regulation… the AIP Water Investment Scorecard will help us hold ourselves accountable.”

The summit was explicitly framed as a preparatory step for the 2026 UN Water Conference, to be hosted by Senegal and the United Arab Emirates. As noted by South Africa’s Host Minister, Penmry Majodina, the event helped “consolidate the position of AU Member States on water investment.”

Alex Simalabwi, CEO of the Global Water Partnership Organisation (GWPO), who headed the Summit Secretariat, captured the prevailing optimism: “By identifying over USD$10–12 billion in preliminary annual pipelines, closing Africa’s USD$30 billion annual water investment gap by 2030 is possible. The launch of the Global Outlook Council and adoption of the Declaration mark a turning point.”

As the world looks toward the 2026 UN Water Conference, the recognition of King Letsie III and the nation of Lesotho offers a powerful blueprint. It demonstrates that through visionary leadership and deep regional cooperation, water can truly be transformed from a source of scarcity into a wellspring of shared prosperity, stability, and hope for an entire region.

Lesotho’s place on the global water stage is now not just as a contributor, but as a leading example and an essential partner for a water-secure future.