Africa, Europe, the United States and the Middle East are working together to provide clean water in Lesotho.

Rapid growth in Lesotho’s capital has put strain on the region’s water supply and businesses and homes are faced with shortages during the dry season. Various international governments and organisations are working together on the Metolong Dam Water Supply Programme which aims to provide a reliable source of water to approximately 125 000 people.

The project is one of the country’s largest infrastructure programmes since Lesotho’s independence and will see the Lesotho government spend nearly $33 million (R360 million) on infrastructure. Once complete the dam will be 73m high and 210m long.

Collaborators

The building of the dam is being financed by the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa, the Saudi Fund for Development and the OPEC Fund for International Development.

The European Investment Bank is funding a major pipeline connecting the dam to a reservoir above Maseru as well as secondary pipelines. The World Bank is financing secondary lines and other infrastructure and the South African government will construct a visitor centre and housing for the system’s operators.

The U.S. Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) has already funded the project design and the project-management unit as well as construction of the water-treatment facility, command reservoir and associated pipelines.

“The Metolong Dam represents both the future of water security in Lesotho as well as a model of coordination on large-scale development projects. And, ultimately, it is the people of Lesotho who will most benefit from such coordinated efforts,” says the MCC.