Pandemic Puts Hold on Southern Africa's Water Tunnel Projects Shem Oirere | Contributing Editor As the COVID-19 pandemic's unpredictable trend causes cancellation or delay of infrastructure projects globally, South Africa and its neighbor Lesotho are grappling with disruption of the second phase of the $1.5-billion Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP), Africa's largest water transfer scheme. The project is diverting water from the Senqu River system in Lesotho to South Africa's Vaal River system, which supports 50 to 60 percent of South Africa's economy. LWHP entails the construction of at least five dams and nearly 125 miles of water transfer and delivery tunnels in five phases. 20 APRIL 2021 | UCONonline.com The bi-national, inter-basin water transfer project, which is being implemented by Lesotho Highlands Development Authority (LHDA) and Trans-Caledon Tunnel Authority (TCTA) in South Africa, was set to enter its second phase in 2020. Advance works were launched during the first quarter, just as the COVID-19 pandemic broke out. According to TCTA's CEO Percy Sechemane, " agreements on funding still need to be concluded " for the project and he warns " the advent of COVID-19 in the current and future years are likely to prove even more challenging. "http://www.UCONonline.com