Water security can decide whether a Southern African community, farm or business can keep going. Nearly US$5 million in new funding could now help protect shared water resources across four countries.
The Global Environment Facility (GEF) has approved US$4.9 million for two International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) projects.
WHY DOES WATER SECURITY NEED MORE INVESTMENT?
For Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and South Africa, water is a big story. The four countries share the Orange-Senqu Basin, which covers about 1 million square kilometres. The basin is home to more than 14 million people, according to an Orange-Senqu River Commission Secretariat (ORASECOM) basin survey.
The Orange-Senqu River begins in Lesotho and runs west towards the Atlantic. Its basin crosses mountains, the Highveld, the Karoo, the Kalahari and the Namib.
That geography makes managing water a regional task. Rainfall varies sharply across the basin. ORASECOM records average annual rainfall of 755mm in Lesotho, compared with 185mm in Namibia. Botswana averages 295mm. South Africa averages 365mm.
The river system is also heavily used. It contains 23 major dams and connects with other river systems through six inter-basin transfer schemes.
The new US$2 million project will establish the Orange-Senqu Water Fund under ORASECOM. It will finance ecosystem restoration, pollution control, water conservation and climate-resilient water security.
HOW WILL THE WATER SECURITY FUND HELP?
The fund aims to tackle a problem familiar across Southern Africa. Plans exist, but turning them into lasting projects can be difficult when money and capacity are limited.
The fund will provide long-term finance for agreed priorities. It will also combine funding from governments, donors and private companies that rely on a healthy river system.
That could support cleaner waterways, healthier ecosystems and better water conservation. It could also help countries prepare for changing rainfall and competing demands.
Lesotho has a particular role because it contributes more than 40% of the basin’s stream flow, although it occupies only about 3.4% of the basin’s area.
For South Africa, the stakes are substantial: About 64.2% of the basin lies within the country, according to ORASECOM.
WHAT DOES MAURITIUS ADD TO THE PICTURE?
Mauritius will receive US$2.9 million for a separate four-year Blue Carbon Horizons project. It will place mangroves, seagrasses and other coastal ecosystems into national adaptation and marine planning. These ecosystems can store carbon and provide coastal protection.
The project will build a blue carbon knowledge base and help place natural infrastructure into climate planning.
The two projects show why Southern Africa cannot treat water and climate as separate issues. A river basin needs investment before shortages, pollution and ecosystem damage become harder to reverse.
For people living across the region, that matters in practical ways. Reliable water supports homes, agriculture, industry and natural ecosystems. The Orange-Senqu Water Fund will now have four years and US$2 million to help turn regional plans into action.