Lesotho Highlands Development Authority

The Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP) is multi-billion Maloti/Rand bi-national Project between the Governments of the Kingdom of Lesotho and the Republic of South Africa. It comprises water transfer and hydropower generation and ancillary developments. The water transfer component entails the construction of dams and tunnels in Lesotho for the purpose of enhancing the use of water from the Senqu (Orange) River and its tributaries by storing, regulating, diverting and controlling the flow to effect the delivery of specified quantities of water to South Africa. At the same time, the delivery system generates hydroelectric power in Lesotho. The major works of Phase I included the construction of the Katse Dam, the water transfer and delivery tunnels, ‘Muela Dam and ‘Muela Hydropower Plant and the Mohale Dam. The Phase II water transfer component comprises a dam at Polihali and a transfer tunnel that will connect the reservoir at Polihali with the Katse reservoir. The Oxbow Hydropower Scheme is the Phase II hydropower component. The Lesotho Highlands Development Authority (LHDA) is the implementing and management authority for the Lesotho Highlands Water Project. It acts on behalf of the government of Lesotho.