PROTECTING THE SOURCE OF LESOTHO’S ‘WHITE GOLD’

At the heart of the Mountain Kingdom of Lesotho lie the highlands. Sitting between 2000 and 3500 metres above sea level, they channel water into the OrangeSenqu River which winds its way from Lesotho through South Africa and Namibia, with tributaries stretching as far as Botswana. It is a key source of water for Southern Africa’s most economically active region, supporting large-scale irrigation, industrial activities, hydropower, urban demand, and small-scale rural activities. South Africa’s highly developed economy draws most of the water, with Gauteng deriving over 32% of its water directly from Lesotho. This paper is a discussion of this resource base.