Namibia’s Ministry of Agriculture, Water, Fisheries and Land Reform has told The Brief that it will continue to withhold approval for Phase II of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project until concerns over potential negative impacts on downstream water flows in the Orange–Senqu River system are addressed. Ministry Spokesperson Simon Nghipandulwa said Namibia is also awaiting a firm commitment from South Africa to jointly develop the proposed Noordoewer–Vioolsdrift Dam on the Lower Orange River as a mitigation measure before any approval can be considered.
“In light of the potential negative impacts on Namibia as a downstream riparian state, it was considered appropriate that a no-objection not be issued until concerns relating to the anticipated impacts of the further development of Phase II had been satisfactorily addressed, and until a firm commitment had been provided by South Africa regarding the joint development of the Noordoewer–Vioolsdrift Dam on the Lower Orange River as a mitigation measure,” Nghipandulwa told The Brief.
He said the matter continues to be addressed through established cooperative platforms, including the Orange–Senqu River Basin Commission (ORASECOM), as well as bilateral structures such as the Permanent Water Commission and the Bi-National Commission between Namibia and South Africa.
According to the ministry, these engagements are aimed at finding mutually acceptable solutions and ensuring that development within the Orange–Senqu River basin does not adversely affect downstream riparian states.
Following the completion of a feasibility study for the Lesotho Highlands Water Project in 2019, Namibia was requested to issue a “no-objection” letter to allow Phase II of the project to proceed.
The Lesotho Highlands Water Project is a bilateral initiative between Lesotho and South Africa, designed to collect, store and transfer water from Lesotho’s highlands to South Africa.
Lesotho reportedly earns more than R3 billion annually from water sales to South Africa, while major urban centres, including Johannesburg, depend heavily on the supply.
South Africa’s Department of Water and Sanitation has previously indicated that the absence of Namibia’s no-objection letter has affected funding arrangements for Phase II of the project.
The R53 billion project aims to increase the transfer of water from Lesotho to South Africa from the current 780 million cubic metres per year to 1,260 million cubic metres per year, while also providing opportunities to generate additional hydroelectric power in Lesotho.
This article was first published here in partnership with The Brief