As we are all aware our country is currently faced with a severe challenge in supplying adequate water to meet the needs of our citizens and institutions alike.
The combination of growing domestic demand and adverse climate conditions was exacerbated in recent years by global warming, a phenomenon that has adversely affected our sub-region; Southern Africa. This means that we are likely to continue to face this challenge for some time, especially in the southern part of our country, if it does not rain.
Fortunately, your Government has been neither blind nor complacent about this emerging trend. It was in anticipation of future challenges that the National Water Master Plan (NWMP) was finalised back in 1990 as a long term roadmap for the management as well as supply of water resources nationwide. (Gaborone Dam and expansions such as the Bokaa, Molatedi, North-South Carrier 1, Dams construction, North-South Carrier 2, Wellfields, Chobe-Zambezi, Lesotho)
A core focus of the plan has been and remains the development of water resources to serve the population concentrated along the eastern corridor of our country.
Delivery of this Master Plan began back in 1992 through the implementation of Phase 1 of the North South Carrier Scheme or NSC 1, which included the construction of Letsibogo Dam linked by a 360 km water pipeline to the Mmamashia waterworks with associated infrastructure in Mahalapye and Palapye, as well as Mmamashia.
The purpose of NSC 1 was to supply portable water to Palapye, Mahalapye and the Greater Gaborone area, with communities such as Molepolole, Thamaga, Moshupa, Kanye and the Goodhope Sub-District ear marked for connection in subsequent phases of the scheme.
Given its ambitious scope of the Master Plan in the light of projected needs, its implementation has been carried out in phases.
