World Bank Mission & Panel of Experts Bring LHWP Under Spotlight

A three-member supervision Mission from the World Bank is in Lesotho on an eleven-day official visit from October 16 - 26, 2006.  The Mission undertakes at least two visits a year to Lesotho , to monitor progress on LHDA performance as specified in the Loan Agreement.

While in Lesotho the Mission that comprises Messrs A. Macoun (team leader), P. Watson, and D. Aronson, will further hold talks with authorities responsible for projects and programmes under World Bank funding.  The Mission is scheduled to meet, inter alia, with Ministers and high-ranking officials from the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Lesotho Highlands Water Commission and the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority (LHDA).

Meanwhile, the Panel of Environmental Experts (POE) is also in Lesotho on a fifteen-day official visit on October 13 – 27, 2006.   The four-member panel comprising Dr. M. Mentis (team leader), Dr. J. Ledger, Prof. B. Hitchcock, and Dr. A. Inambao, is responsible to independently monitor and evaluate the performance of Lesotho Highlands Water Project on social and environmental impact mitigation programmes, and to accordingly advise both the World Bank and LHDA.

Similar to the World Bank Mission, the Panel of Experts also undertakes at least two visits per year. The last time both parties were in Lesotho was in May, 2006. LHDA’s performance in implementing the environmental action plan is critical, as it is an important yardstick which the World Bank may use to decide its future involvement in developmental initiatives in Lesotho . 

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