Moroke Sekoboto
IN a major step forward for regional water security and climate resilience, the Orange-Senqu River Commission (ORASECOM) has formally inaugurated the Project Management Office (PMO) for the Lesotho-Botswana Water Transfer (LBWT) Project.
The office will serve as the technical and administrative hub for one of Southern Africa’s major transboundary water initiatives.
The project is a joint undertaking by Lesotho, Botswana and South Africa, with Namibia participating as an official observer due to the fact that it has a stake on any projects on the Senqu River as it also passes through the country.
Speaking at the inauguration of the PMO in Maseru on Thursday, Minister of Natural Resources, Mohlomi Moleko, said the occasion celebrated the enduring value of cooperation among nations that understood that their shared future was strengthened when they worked together.
Mr Moleko said Southern Africa was one of the world’s most water-constrained regions, while its economies, communities and ecosystems were increasingly affected by climate variability and growing demand for water.
“These realities remind us that water security can no longer be pursued by countries acting alone. It requires partnership, trust and institutions that enable us to plan together and invest together. That is precisely why ORASECOM continues to be such an important institution for our region,” Mr Moleko said.
“For more than two decades, the Commission has provided a platform through which the four Orange-Senqu Basin states have cooperated in managing one of Southern Africa’s most important shared river systems.”
He said the LBWT Project was a practical demonstration of that cooperation.
“While the project is being advanced by the governments of Botswana, Lesotho and South Africa, with Namibia participating as an observer through the Joint Study Management Committee, it reflects the broader principles of cooperation that define the Orange-Senqu Basin,” Mr Moleko said.
For Lesotho, he said, the project represented an opportunity to contribute to regional water security while advancing the country’s own development aspirations.
“Water remains one of Lesotho’s most strategic natural resources. It has the potential to support economic growth, strengthen regional partnerships and improve the livelihoods of our people.
“However, we are equally mindful that large infrastructure projects must ultimately be judged not only by what they build, but by how they improve people’s lives.”
Mr Moleko emphasised that infrastructure should create opportunities, strengthen communities, protect the environment and contribute to sustainable development for present and future generations.
“For that reason, I am encouraged that the PMO is currently focused on completing the remaining feasibility studies in accordance with international best practice.
“This reflects a responsible and deliberate approach to project preparation. The remaining technical studies, environmental and social impact assessments, and the Financial, Legal and Institutional Structure Study will provide the evidence required for informed decision-making.”
He said the studies would also ensure that the project was developed in accordance with environmental and social safeguard standards and through meaningful engagement with project-affected and potentially affected communities and other stakeholders.
Communities, he said, must be informed, their voices heard, potential impacts carefully assessed, appropriate mitigation measures developed, and opportunities to maximise local and national benefits actively pursued.
“This is not simply good practice; it is fundamental to responsible and sustainable development,” Mr Moleko said.
He announced that the government would undertake a complementary study to assess opportunities for strengthening sustainable livelihoods, climate resilience and economic development within the LBWT Project area.
“This study reflects our commitment to ensuring that, alongside regional water security objectives, we also identify practical opportunities to enhance local economic participation, strengthen community resilience and maximise the long-term development benefits of the project for Basotho,” he said.
ORASECOM Executive Secretary, Comfort Molosiwa, said although the PMO had been operational for some time and was accorded diplomatic status by Lesotho in July 2023, its inauguration reaffirmed the participating countries’ shared commitment to advancing one of Southern Africa’s strategic water infrastructure initiatives.
Mr Molosiwa said the project reflected ORASECOM’s commitment to basin-wide cooperation and the shared stewardship of transboundary water resources.
“The significance of this initiative extends beyond our basin. The project has been recognised under the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD)’s Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA), affirming its contribution to regional integration, climate resilience and long-term water security on the African continent.
“It stands as an example of how African countries can work together to develop shared infrastructure that responds to common development challenges through partnership and mutual benefit,” Mr Molosiwa said.
He said the establishment of the PMO demonstrated the participating governments’ confidence in the value of a dedicated institution to coordinate the project’s preparatory phase.
He said the office existed to facilitate, coordinate and manage the completion of feasibility studies that would enable informed decisions on the project’s future implementation.
“The pre-feasibility studies have been successfully completed, providing the strategic basis for the project. More recently, the Technical Feasibility Study for the proposed dam on the Makhaleng River was completed, marking another important milestone in project preparation,” Mr Molosiwa said.
He said four critical studies remained before the project could move to the next phase: the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) for the proposed dam and water conveyance system; the Technical Feasibility Study (TFS) for the water conveyance system; and the Financial, Legal and Institutional Structure Study (FLISS).
The successful completion of these studies, he said, would provide the technical, environmental, financial, legal and institutional foundation upon which future investment decisions could confidently be made.
Mr Molosiwa emphasised that the studies were not merely technical exercises, but were intended to ensure that any future development of the project was informed by sound science, meaningful stakeholder engagement and internationally recognised environmental and social safeguard standards.
“We recognise that major water infrastructure has the potential to transform lives, strengthen economies and enhance regional resilience. At the same time, we recognise that these types of projects can have profound implications for the communities and environments in which they are developed.
“It is therefore our collective responsibility to ensure that project preparation is rigorous, transparent and responsive to the needs and aspirations of those who may be affected,” he said.
He said the forthcoming ESIA would provide opportunities for meaningful consultation with project-affected communities, local authorities, civil society and other stakeholders.
“This will ensure that their knowledge, perspectives and concerns help shape project design and decision-making. Together with FLISS, these processes will help ensure that the project is not only technically feasible, but also socially responsible, environmentally sustainable, economically sound and institutionally robust,” Mr Molosiwa said.
He said ORASECOM’s aspiration was not simply to prepare another infrastructure project, but one that reflected international best practice in environmental stewardship, social responsibility, sound governance and sustainable development.
“By embedding these principles from the feasibility stage, we are laying the foundation for infrastructure that is technically robust, socially inclusive, environmentally responsible and economically transformative.
“As ORASECOM, we remain committed to supporting this initiative because it embodies the very principles upon which our commission was established: cooperation among riparian states, equitable and reasonable utilisation of shared water resources, and the pursuit of sustainable development for the benefit of all who depend on the Orange-Senqu River Basin,” Mr Molosiwa said.
He said the inauguration of the PMO reaffirmed the participating countries’ commitment to completing the remaining work with professionalism, transparency, accountability and partnership.
“We are confident that it will continue serving as a centre for technical excellence, regional cooperation and effective project coordination as the participating countries advance this important initiative,” he said.
Mr Molosiwa said the PMO was more than a project office; it was a symbol of what was possible when neighbouring countries chose cooperation over competition, dialogue over division and long-term shared prosperity over short-term national interests.
He said the project demonstrated that Africa possessed not only shared water resources, but also the institutions, partnerships and collective resolve to develop them responsibly for the benefit of its people.
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