johannesburg– For every glass of water or shower taken in Gauteng, South Africa’s most populous province, which includes Johannesburg, there is a 60% chance that the water comes from its smaller neighbor, the mountains. kingdom of lesotho.
A newly built bridge launched this week is part of a network of constructions that will help the landlocked nation cited by the World Bank. one of the poorest in the worldSouth Africa almost doubled its water exports to power one of Africa’s largest industrial and economic centres. It will also boost water royalties and revenues for the country where half the population lives below the national poverty line.
The Senku Bridge, 825 meters (2,700 ft) long and 90 meters (295 ft) high, is part of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project which will increase water exports to South Africa from the current 780 million cubic meters per year to 1,270 billion cubic metres.
The bridge goes over the reservoir behind the Polihali Dam, ensuring continuous movement when the water level rises. The construction of the dam has not been completed yet.
The Lesotho Highlands Water Project is one of the largest transboundary water projects in the world and is the largest investment South Africa has ever made outside its borders. It also boosts Lesotho’s hydropower production, furthering energy security and reducing the country’s dependence on electricity imports.
The total cost of the project is currently estimated at more than 53 billion rand ($3.2 billion), consisting of more than 120 kilometers (75 mi) of tunnels that channel water from Lesotho’s mountainous regions into South Africa’s river systems. Its first phase began in 1990 as a result of a 1986 treaty between the two countries and is currently in its second phase which is estimated to be completed between 2028 and 2029.
The 2.4 billion-rand ($144 million) bridge, the largest of three bridges supporting water infrastructure in the northeastern part of the country, has been lauded as an engineering feat for Lesotho, rising more than 2,500 meters (8,200 ft) above sea level.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said during the inauguration of the bridge, “South Africa is a water-scarce country and the water in the highlands of Lesotho is vital to the development of our country. We will always be grateful to the great Basotho nation for providing us with water resources.”
The construction of the bridge created approximately 1,200 jobs, mostly for Lesotho residents. The government declared a state of economic emergency last year after the unemployment rate reached nearly 30%.
Sam Matekane, Prime Minister of Lesotho, said, “The royalties and infrastructure from this project are not windfalls. They are at the heart of our development finance strategy.”
Some construction is still pending including a 38 kilometers (23 mi) tunnel connecting the Polihali and Katse reservoirs.
“The project must deepen the impact on people, strengthen accountability in delivery and ensure that its benefits are not abstract but felt in the daily lives of affected people,” Mateken said.
The country’s economic problems have become worse due to trade Tariff up to 50% Imposed by the United States, Lesotho’s largest importer of textile and mining products. It has also been the target of America on a large scale cut foreign aid which were funding most of its health programmes.
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