Projects are regarded as vehicles for development; developments are meant to
enhance the quality of human life. Various types of development projects are carried
out depending on the prevailing problems or opportunities, needs, objectives, target
communities or areas, and the availability of resources and funds. Projects should
have relevant activities particularly in the developing world in order that they can
positively contribute towards developing mankind. Further, it is possible that some
large water development projects like the Lesotho Highlands Water Project could
easily be ill-considered developments resulting in extremely high costs and
tremendous damage to the environment and human beings. Therefore, projects
should ensure that the environmental impacts are properly mitigated, and that the
distribution of benefits is fair while assuring that the underprivileged benefit well.
A successful water development project must deliver to those immediately affected
and to those it is meant to develop. The 1986 Water Treaty between the governments
of Lesotho and South Africa guarantees better livelihoods for affected communities.
Fixed royalties from the water sale, the variable royalties from taxes on some project
activities and earnings from other activities such as increased tourism are expected to
generate revenue income to raise the countryâs economy. Simultaneously,
hydroelectric power is to make the country self-sufficient in energy. However, LHWP
has spawned differing opinions on whether or not it has been a successful project this
far. This is because its social impacts are mixed with benefits and detriments affecting
many people and societies within Lesotho particularly in the project affected areas.
The study has been conducted by holding discussions with sampled communities in
dam-affected areas as well as in unaffected areas for broader national perspective.
This has also afforded the opportunity to determine what Basotho locals think of
LHWP. The mayhem of assets compensation, resettlement of displaced communities
and the rural development programs in which LHWP finds itself in are the major
determinants. Of prime importance is the compliance with the water Treaty signed by
the Lesotho and the South African governments to better the well-being of affected communities. Comparative case studies show similarities of these socio-environmental
impacts.
The study focuses specifically on the rural dam development of Ha Katse and Ha
Mohale in a developing country where poverty, lack of services and
underdevelopment are dominant. It establishes how the negative and positive impacts
affect people of the areas under study after nearly twenty years of the projectâs
existence. Further, it aims to ascertain if social benefits engendered by LHWP vis a vis
the cost of asset and resource losses borne by the Basotho justify the project, and
whether the envisaged objectives have been met.
Therefore, the study endeavours to determine the social impacts of LHWP as
experienced and told by those affected by the dams and those that it is meant to
develop. It also takes cognisance of the views of the water project authority, the
Lesotho Highlands Development Authority, in this respect. Furthermore, through some
recommendations, it sets out to encourage ever more that the project should be
successful in that the benefits of the dams should encapsulate balanced economic,
environmental and social sustainability.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:ufs/oai:etd.uovs.ac.za:etd-09262006-095209 |
| Date | 26 September 2006 |
| Creators | Matli, Moeketsi Boniface |
| Contributors | Ms E Kruger |
| Publisher | University of the Free State |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en-uk |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | http://etd.uovs.ac.za//theses/available/etd-09262006-095209/restricted/ |
| Rights | unrestricted, I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached hereto a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dissertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to University Free State or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report. |
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