The Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP) is a bi-national, multi-purpose undertaking between the Kingdom of Lesotho (KoL) and the Republic of South Africa (RSA). It is one of the world's largest infrastructure projects under construction today. The project comprises five proposed dams, 200 kilometers of tunnels blasted through the Maluti Mountains, and a 72-megawatt hydropower plant that will supply power to Lesotho. Construction began in 1984 with the first dam, Katse, delivering water in 1998. Mohale, the second dam, is currently in the final phases of construction. The entire project is expected to cost U.S. $8 billion by the time of its completion in 2020. Current donors and lenders include the World Bank, Development Bank of South Africa, African Development Bank, the European Development Fund, various export credit agencies, and European commercial banks.
