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Report No 678-F-001
METSI CONSULTANTS: SUMMARY OF MAIN FINDINGS FOR PHASE 1 DEVELOPMENT
10.7. PROPORTIONAL IMPACTS TO OVERALL POPULATION AT RISK AFFECTED
Sections 10.4 to 10.6 above indicate the relative severity of the social and public and animal health risks per IFR
reach. However, the number of people living in each of the reaches differs markedly, e.g., the PAR in Reach 6 is
more than 20 times greater than that in Reach 2. In general, the distant reaches are more heavily populated than
the proximal reaches. Table 10.5 compares the overall impacts translated into percentages of PAR affected.
Table 10.5 Percentage of the overall PAR affected by different severity risks. In general terms the level of
impacts are coded as follows: blue – negligible; green – low; yellow – moderate; purple – severe;
red – critically severe.
% of
PAR Social
100
80
60
40
20
0
Minimum Degradation Design Limitation Fourth Treaty
Public
Health
Animal
Health
Social
10.8. OTHER IMPACTS AND LOSSES
Public
Health
Animal
Health
Social
Public
Health
Animal
Health
Social
Public
Health
Animal
Health
The IFR study did not exhaustively study or evaluate all possible consequences and effects of flow alteration in
the rivers downstream of the LHWP structures. For reasons of time and cost constraints, emphasis has been
placed on the key biophysical factors and on socio-economic issues selected on the basis of experience in the
upper catchments of the LHWP (reservoir areas) as being important in a community and project development
context.
A potentially important item not specifically studied nor assessed is tourism. This is a development priority for the
LHWP in particular and Lesotho in general but has not progressed because of a general lack of tourist
infrastructure in the LHWP areas. Some downstream river reaches, e.g., IFR Reaches 5 and 8, have scenic river
values of very high potential for future tourism. Although flow regulation would not directly impact on aesthetic
values, a reduction in flows could potentially impact activities such as river rafting or fly-fishing.
A second important item not specifically addressed is the intangible values associated with free-flowing rivers.
The Senqu, Malibamats'o, Senqunyane, Matsoku and other rivers within the general zone of influence of the
LHWP have great value as representatives of African high-elevation headwaters with intrinsically valuable
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