Highland Wind Farms

The controversial wind farm proposed for Lesotho’s Maluti-Drakensberg has received the go-ahead from the Lesotho Government. Conservationists are concerned that this decision does not bode well for the future of vultures in the region or for the reputation of the fledging wind energy industry in southern Africa.

“Approval of the Letseng project is a source of great concern to BirdLife”, said Ken Mwathe, BirdLife International’s Africa Policy Programme Coordinator. “African governments must tread carefully on renewable energy projects by ensuring they do not threaten birds and biodiversity”.

PowerNET Developments (Pty) Ltd applied for permission to erect 42 wind turbines in north-eastern Lesotho. This site falls within the breeding, roosting and foraging grounds of important populations of both Bearded and Cape Vulture. It is well known from international studies that vultures are prone to colliding with wind turbines and BirdLife South Africa is concerned that this wind farm development could have severe impacts on these two threatened vultures.