US embassy cable - 05GABORONE601

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 GABORONE 000601 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
AF/S FOR DIFFILY 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, SENV, ECON, BEXP, BC, Environment 
SUBJECT: GABORONE'S LOOMING WATER SHORTAGE 
 
1. (SBU)  SUMMARY:  The Gaborone Dam, the primary source of 
water for over 250,000 people in the Greater Gaborone area, 
is at a four-year low.  Without significant inflows, which 
are unlikely to materialize, the dam will fail in three 
months.  The GOB's short-term solution is to rely on a 
notoriously faulty pipeline from a dam in the less-arid 
northeast.  While water restrictions have reduced demand to 
match the capacity of this pipeline, the Government needs to 
do more to improve its water management.  To meet the long- 
term growth in demand, the GOB has advanced plans for 
constructing a large dam (capacity 400 million cubic meters) 
also in the northeast.  This USD 175 million project and 
other impending water-related infrastructure projects 
provide an opportunity to support Botswana's economy and 
assist US companies to bid on substantial contracts.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
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WATER CRISIS LOOMING IN GABORONE 
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2. (U)  Without a major increase in rainfall - and the rainy 
season is now ending - the Gaborone Dam, the primary source 
of water for over 250,000 people in the Greater Gaborone 
area, is likely to fail within three months.  The dam 
contains only 23 percent of its capacity of 141.4 million 
cubic meters, a four-year low.  Although water restrictions 
have reduced demand by roughly 25 percent, the declining 
water supply in southeastern Botswana is likely to force the 
Water Utilities Company (WUC) to rely on water piped from 
the northeast of the country, where rains have been more 
plentiful. 
 
3. (U)  Letsibogo dam (100 million cubic meters), located 
near Selebi-Phikwe in the northeast, has been providing 40 
percent of Greater Gaborone's water via a pipeline called 
the North-South Carrier (NSC).  According to the WUC, the 
NSC could provide 100 percent of Gaborone's current water 
demand for up to 20 months.  By that time, it hopes, 
rainfall will have replenished the Gaborone Dam.  WUC 
admitted, however, that the NSC has a troubled track-record. 
A recently released report by the Auditor General noted that 
the glass-reinforced plastic pipes that compose nearly half 
the carrier have suffered leaks and ruptures, some of which 
took several days to repair.  Permanent Secretary Tombale of 
the Ministry of Mineral, Energy and Water Resources referred 
to the leak-prone pipe as "the big risk" in the GOB's 
planned response to the water crisis. 
 
4. (U)  In light of this challenge, the Ministry of 
Minerals, Energy and Water Resources is considering 
connecting to boreholes in areas now served by the NSC.  One 
proposal would tap into a well field south of Gaborone that 
had been decommissioned in 1989 after ground water became 
contaminated by pit latrines used in the nearby village. 
According to Permanent Secretary Tombale, the GOB hopes to 
attract assistance from its international partners to help 
implement this idea. 
 
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PRIMARY CAUSE: INFLATED DEMAND 
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5. (SBU)  Although rapid population growth -- Gaborone 
proudly proclaims itself the fastest growing city in Africa 
-- and lower-than-average rains contributed to this crisis, 
the primary cause was the lack of proper water conservation 
measures.  Permanent Secretary Tombale conceded that 
Botswana has not behaved as a water-scarce country in the 
past, resulting in an "inflated demand."  While highly 
subsidized and unaccountable delivery of water in rural 
areas contributes to this problem, Botswana government 
institutions appear to be the worst offenders.  A contact 
within the Water Affairs Department has documented numerous 
instances in which Government institutions lose around 50 
percent of their water to wastage; in some cases this 
proportion was as high as 90 percent.  Leaking fixtures, 
automatic flushing urinals, and toilet tanks with excessive 
capacity accounted for much of this loss.  The local press 
has also decried the verdant hue of lawns at government 
offices amidst the imposition of water restrictions. 
 
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NEW DAMS IN NORTHEAST TO INCREASE SUPPLY 
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6. (U)  Botswana's Ninth National Development Plan (covering 
2003-2009) called for the construction of four new dams. 
One of these, Ntimbale Dam (35 million cubic meters) is 
already under construction.  Word that the diamond mine in 
Orapa is beginning to run out of water prompted the GOB to 
advance its timetable for building the 400 million cubic 
meter Lower Shashe Dam.  The GOB encountered such setbacks 
with the Ntimbale project that it hopes to hire a consultant 
to oversee the USD 175 million Lower Shashe project, along 
with the construction of two other dams (one of 35 million 
cubic meters and another of 100 million cubic meters). 
Depending on how long it takes to resolve concerns 
reportedly raised by South Africa about the impact on its 
downstream water supply, the GOB would like to initiate work 
on Lower Shashe Dam in 2006.  The Government estimates that 
it will take three years to finish this project. 
 
7. (U)  Although contacts inside and outside the Government 
have criticized its tendency to ignore demand reduction, it 
has taken some initial steps in this direction.  The 
Ministry of Minerals, Energy, and Water has introduced coin- 
operated water dispensers in four villages and distributed 
tokens to enable families to obtain a basic amount of water 
for free, beyond which they have to pay.  Initial results 
suggest a significant decrease in water use in the pilot 
villages, sparking increased interest from local authorities 
in other areas of the country.  The Ministry has introduced 
this technology slowly, fearing that it lacks the technical 
capacity to keep the units in proper working order. 
Permanent Secretary Tombale told PolOff that he intends to 
take advantage of this crisis to promote water conservation 
measures, such as using untreated water for non-consumptive 
purposes like construction. 
 
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COMMENT 
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8. (SBU)  Water is a political commodity in Botswana.  The 
Government is reluctant to eliminate substantial subsidies 
in rural areas where the ruling Botswana Democratic Party is 
strongest, knowing that this would hasten the penetration of 
opposition parties into the countryside.  Conversely, poor 
urban neighborhoods that tend to support opposition parties 
frequently endure water cuts that last for days, an 
inconvenience that up market residential areas are spared. 
 
9. (SBU)  Gaborone's water crisis offers opportunities to 
strengthen the US-Botswana partnership.  The Mission hosted 
a digital videoconference on the subject of water 
conservation to help energize local discussions of how to 
deal with this challenge.  The GOB hopes to obtain 
assistance from the US or other international partners to 
finance and implement its planned water infrastructure 
projects.  This presents an opportunity to support 
Botswana's continued economic growth while potentially 
assisting US exporters. 
 
HUGGINS