Step-by-step: Protecting ecosystems, securing water for millions
In Lesotho, we help people to use the land along the Orange River sustainably, which supports the preservation of ecosystems. This also safeguards livelihoods and secures the water supply for millions of people further downstream.
A river rarely stops at a country’s borders. And the Orange River is no exception. From Lesotho, it runs through South Africa and on to Botswana and Namibia. GIZ staff member Ulrich Thüer explains: ‘What happens at the top has an impact further down. Safeguarding intact ecosystems and soils around the source in Lesotho’s highlands ensures that the river carries enough water into neighbouring countries. Preserving water catchment areas is vital to ensuring that people, businesses and industry in southern Africa have enough water.’
Healthy groundwater springs safeguard water supply
Ulrich Thüer manages a project in which we protect ecosystems in river catchment areas in Lesotho. We do this on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the European Union. Lesotho’s mountain habitats are under pressure. A growing population needs more food and space. Overgrazing and erosion reduce the area available for grazing and cultivation and impact negatively on the environment. This in turn affects the water supply in the lowlands of South Africa, Botswana and Namibia. In the South African province of Gauteng alone, 15 million people rely on water from the Orange River. Erosion also affects the energy supply in Lesotho and neighbouring countries, causing silt accumulation in reservoirs and hydroelectric power stations.
Sustainable solutions strengthen agriculture
To safeguard the supply of water and energy, we work with the Lesotho Government’s Integrated Catchment Management coordination unit. Together with the unit, we provide training in appropriate land management practices to the inhabitants of river catchment areas to help them preserve ecosystems and use land sustainably. Sustainable farming practices improve harvests and boost incomes. Lesotho has been able to stabilise and protect 4,400 hectares of land so far. This is the equivalent of around 6,150 football pitches. Over 536,000 people – or 30 per cent of Lesotho’s rural population – benefit as a result.
Swift measures yield high impact. For example, local people now terrace slopes before planting, so that rain seeps into the groundwater, reducing run-off and soil erosion. Building stone walls across erosion gullies slows water flow, traps sediment, prevents soil from sliding away and stabilises the gullies. These practices help the people of Lesotho to preserve the landscape and safeguard the water supply for millions of people living downstream.
