"The multipurpose Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP) is designed to transfer water from the water-abundant highlands of Lesotho to the Gauteng region of South Africa (its industrial heartland) and provide hydropower to Lesotho through a series of dams, weirs, delivery tunnels, and associated infrastructure (see Box 1). In addition, for Lesotho, one of the primary objectives of the LHWP is to utilize its export revenues toward poverty alleviation and economic stability [...] Being the largest binational water transfer scheme in the world and because of its phasing (Phase I was divided into two very large sub phases, Phase IA and Phase IB, which were followed by the feasibility studies for Phase II), the lessons learned in this case study are multifaceted. They are discussed under the headings of overall perspective; governance; sustainability (focusing on its physical, institutional, fi nancial, environmental, and social aspects as well as its impacts in poverty alleviation); and communication. This is followed by a summary of the lessons learned progressively in moving through the fi rst two phases of the project. The synopsis closes with a look at the lessons learned from the involvement of the World Bank in the project. Because of the complexity of this project, selectivity has been applied in the topics discussed, including focusing mostly on Lesotho." (Synopsis, page ix-x)