The tiny kingdom of Lesotho lies in the Maluti Mountains, whose highest peak rises over 3,000 meters (9,842 ft) above sea level. There, Lesotho possesses a sought-after treasure: water. Lesotho channels this vital resource into huge dams and trade in water is flourishing. For more than two decades, Lesotho has been exporting water to neighboring South Africa , which surrounds Lesotho. South Africa's economic hub, Johannesburg, heavily relies on this water supply from Lesotho.

Water resources in southern Africa are unevenly distributed. Despite its smaller size, Lesotho is rich in water, while larger South Africa lacks enough water to meet the growing demand.

The Lesotho Highlands Water Project boasts dams, reservoirs and tunnels that capture water in the Senqu/Orange River's upper reaches and channel it to South Africa into the Vaal River, almost 400 km (248 miles) away.

Lesotho built the Katse and Mohale dams in 1998 and 2003. The Polihali Dam, which is currently under construction, is expected to increase the volume of water used in South Africa and produce electricity for the two nations once it is completed in 2028.

Water trading is lucrative for Lesotho given the increasing drought in South Africa, but it "does not benefit many people in Lesotho," Lepeli Moeketsi, a lawyer who works for Seinoli Legal Centre, a non-governmental organization in Maseru, told DW.

Moeketsi is concerned that the rights of locals are still being ignored and that little information about possible plans for compensation is being made public.........

© Deutsche Welle