LHWP
NEWS
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LHDA CELEBRATES WORLD WATER
DAY
(22ND MARCH, 2009) |
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March 22 is
celebrated every year as World Water Day. This year, the
coordinating body namely UN Water, had decided that the
focus should be on “the waters that cross borders and link us
together”.
The focus could not have been more relevant
to the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP), a multi-billion
Maloti bi-national water resources development and management
initiative between the governments of Lesotho and South
Africa.
It was against this backdrop that the Lesotho
Highlands Development Authority (LHDA), LHWP’s implementing
body, joined the rest of the globe in celebrating this
important day by engaging in two key activities:
- Mounting a banner at the main entrance of its
headquarters, LHDA Tower Building (formerly Lesotho Bank
Tower), with the following theme: “Networking Two
Nations, Lesotho Highlands Water Project is a Catalyst for
Development”.
- Organizing the first major local media conference
following the official announcement on the decision to
implement Phase 2 in December, 2008. The conference was
jointly hosted by Mr. Sixtus Tohlang, Chief Delegate
(Lesotho Side) in the Lesotho Highlands Water Commission and
LHDA’s Acting Chief Executive, Mr. Masilo Phakoe. Mr.
Tohlang briefed journalists on the progress of Phase 2
to-date, while Mr. Phakoe impressed on the media LHDA’s
readiness to implement Phase 2 by highlighting successes,
challenges and lessons learned under Phase 1.
No
fewer than 10 media houses, including the national radio
station, were represented at the media conference. Watch this
space for more information on the deliberations of the
conference.
Click
here to read a
report by Lesotho Today, one of the newspapers represented at
the media conference.
Elucidating the theme, UN Water (http://www.unwater.org/worldwaterday/flashindex.html)
stressed the fact that with every country seeking to satisfy
its water needs from limited water resources, there was an
absolute necessity for cooperation to prevail over conflict.
The UN body went on to note with gratitude the fact that over
the last 60 years there had been more than 200 international
water agreements, out of which only 37 had reports of violence
between and among concerned states.
As LHDA, we are
proud that in its 23 years of existence, LHWP forms part of
the said 163 water resources development and management
agreements successfully implemented (with no reports of
conflict/violence). The commendable cooperation between the
two owners of the project, namely the governments of Lesotho
and South Africa has paved way for the recently approved
implementation of Phase 2 of the project.
Also worth
mentioning is that at country level, Lesotho is a member of
the Orange-Senqu River Commission (ORASECOM), established in
2000 between Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and South Africa under
the Protocol for Shared Watercourse Systems of the Southern
African Development Community (SADC). Since its establishment
ORASECOM has also registered commendable gains in effecting
best practices in transboundary river basin management;
striving towards greater cooperation, strengthened regional
solidarity and enhanced socio-economic development.
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LHDA Public
Relations: +266 22 311 280
E-mail: lhwp@lhda.org.ls
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