At Sendelingsdrift, the pontoon crossing over the Orange River between Namibia and South Africa is only operable if the river is not in flood. It provides access from the Richtersveld National Park in South Africa to the Ai-Ais section of the Ai-Ais–Richtersveld Transfrontier Park in Namibia.JANUARY 2013

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1 New Year’s Day, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa

An irrigation system waters the maize of small-scale farmers at Taung, North West Province, South Africa. The water is drawn from the Vaal-Harts Irrigation Scheme, one of the largest of such schemes in the world, comprising more than 800 kilometres of canals irrigating over 32,000 hectares of fields.

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FebRUARY 2013

The Orange River battles against the tides of the Atlantic Ocean at its mouth between Alexander Bay, South Africa, and Oranjemund, Namibia. The estuary is a paradise for water birds, including pelicans, cormorants and flamingoes and is a protected Ramsar site. This unique ecosystem is threatened by the drastic overall reduction in runoff of the river and increased winter flows – a result of the development and operation of dams upstream.

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MARch 201311 Moshoeshoe’s Day, Lesotho | 21 Independence Day, Namibia | 21 human Rights Day, South Africa | 29 Good Friday, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa

Prosopis glandulosa, commonly known as the mesquite or honey locust tree, is an aggressive alien invasive in Namibia, Botswana and the western parts of South Africa. It out-competes indigenous vegetation, chokes up watercourses and negatively affects the water table. In some areas of the river basin, mesquite is harvested for its timber, thereby helping both the environment and creating employment.

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ApRIl 20131 easter Monday, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia | 1 Family Day, South Africa | 27 Freedom Day, South Africa

Maletsunyane Falls, in Maseru District, Lesotho, is one of the highest waterfalls in the world. It is near the source of the Senqu River, which journeys 2,200 kilometres to the west, emptying into the Atlantic Ocean as the Orange River. While just over 13 per cent of the population of the Orange-Senqu River basin lives in Lesotho, the country contributes 40 per cent of the total runoff. MAY 2013

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1 labour Day, Botswana | 1 Worker’s Day, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa | 4 cassinga Day, Namibia | 9 Ascension Day, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia | 25 Africa Day, Lesotho, Namibia

A patch of light breaks through storm clouds near the Bloemhof Dam, North West Province, South Africa. The north-western parts of South Africa are very arid, with annual precipitation dropping steadily as one moves west-wards, and few perennial tributaries contributing to the Orange-Senqu River.JUNe 2013

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16 Youth Day, South Africa (public holiday is on the 17th)

This photograph of Northcliff water tower in north-west Johannesburg, South Africa, shows the urban sprawl that characterises the area. Increasing urbanisation is expected to place further strain on water resources that arealready under threat.JUlY 2013

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1 Sir Seretse Khama Day, Botswana | 15 president’s Day, Botswana (public holiday is on the 16th) | 17 King’s letsie III’s birthday, Lesotho

Cattle drink at a pan near Tsabong, Kgalagadi District, in south-west Botswana. The ancient water pits at Tsabong, which were first used by indigenous people in that area, are still used today. Without these pits, human life would not have been possible here.AUGUSt 2013

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9 Women’s Day, South Africa | 26 heroes’ Day, Namibia

Stone walls have been built by community volunteers at Mount Moorosi, Lesotho, to stop further erosion and rehabilitate rangelands above the Senqu River. Much of southern Lesotho is semi-arid as a result of being in the rain shadow of the mighty mountain ranges that are the source of the Orange-Senqu River. SepteMbeR 2013

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24 heritage Day, South Africa | 30 botswana Day, Botswana

Water sparkles in the early morning sunshine at Johannesburg Stadium, Gauteng Province, South Africa. Gauteng is South Africa’s economic heartland with more than 12 million domestic consumers, many of whom are supplied with water from the Orange-Senqu River system. It is estimated that the demand for water in this area will increase by 30 per cent within the next 20 years.OctObeR 2013

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1 botswana Day holiday, Botswana | 4 Independence Day, Lesotho

A slimes dam at Rand Uranium’s Cooke Plant and Shafts 1 and 2, Randfontein, Gauteng. Over 100 years of mining in the area has led to acid mine drainage, which threatens to contaminate near-surface groundwater resources with high concentrations of salts and metals.NOveMbeR 2013

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Indigenous desert flora makes the Richtersveld region, in Northern Cape Province, South Africa, and the transfrontier park shared by Namibia and South Africa, a unique floral zone. Regional conservation initiatives, such as these parks, are essential to conserving valuable and threatened ecosystems.DeceMbeR 2013

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10 International human Rights Day, Namibia | 16 Day of Reconciliation, South Africa | 25 christmas Day, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa 26 boxing Day, Botswana, Lesotho | 26 Family Day, Namibia | 26 Day of Goodwill, South Africa

2013January April July OctoberS M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S

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2014January April July OctoberS M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S

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The Orange-Senqu River Commission (ORASECOM) was established in 2000 by Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and South Africa, which share the water resources of the Orange-Senqu River Basin. The Commission provides a forum for consultation, sharing of information and cooperation between the countries.

An important part of ORASECOM’s Programme is the Orange-Senqu Strategic Action Programme, a four-year project which aims to identify and address the threats to shared water resources in the Orange-Senqu River Basin, with the ultimate goal of developing a basin-wide plan for sustainable management of its water and related natural resources. The project is funded by the Global Environment Facility through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and is executed by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS).

For further information on ORASECOM, please visit www.orasecom.org.

The GEF unites 182 countries in partnership with international institutions, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and the private sector to address global environmental issues while supporting national sustainable development initiatives. Today the GEF is the largest public funder of projects to improve the global environment. An independently operating financial organization, the GEF provides grants for projects related to biodiversity, climate change, international waters, land degradation, the ozone layer, and persistent organic pollutants. Since 1991, GEF has achieved a strong track record with developing countries and countries with economies in transition, providing $9.2 billion in grants and leveraging $40 billion in co-financing for over 2,700 projects in over 168 countries. www.thegef.org

UNDP partners with people at all levels of society to help build nations that can withstand crisis, and drive and sustain the kind of growth that improves the quality of life for everyone. On the ground in 177 countries and territories, we offer global perspective and local insight to help empower lives and build resilient nations.www.undp.org

Printed on 170g/m² Sappi Triple Green Matt, which is produced from sustainable resources and is recyclable and biodegradable.

Photography:© UNOPS/Greg Marinovich: February, March, August, September © Greg Marinovich: Cover, July, October, November © UNOPS/Leonie Marinovich: January, April, June, December© Leonie Marinovich: May