20 May 2013: The World Bank is scaling up investments in Angola, Malawi, Mozambique, Lesotho and Zambia, as well as to transboundary organizations in basins such as the Zambezi River basin, to cope with climate change, water scarcity and regional difficulties related to the management of transboundary waters.

Noting that experts predict that climate change will exacerbate already extreme weather patterns across the region, the World bank is providing support to improve monitoring and forecasting capabilities. It will also strengthen institutional and infrastructure capacity to cope with climate change to foster economic development and water supply in Southern Africa.

The World Bank reports on a project carried out in Lesotho, highlighting the construction of the Metolong Dam and the development of the Water Supply Program, which will more than double water supply for major cities and villages. The World Bank contributes to this national initiative by channeling US$38 million to the Lesotho Water Sector Improvement Project.

This project complements broader World Bank efforts on transboundary waters in Southern Africa, which seek to analyze cooperation in five international river basins through an assessment of risk perception. [World Bank Press Release] [Lesotho – Water Sector Improvement Project] [Publication: Reaching Across the Waters: Facing the Risks of Cooperation in International Waters]