Int. J. Environmental Engineering, Vol. 3, No. 2, 2011 175 Copyright © 2011 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd. The effects of industrialisation on water quality and livelihoods in Lesotho Deepa Pullanikkatil* Lerotholi Polytechnic, P.O. Box 16, Maseru 100, Lesotho Fax: +266 22310265 E-mail: d_pullani@yahoo.com *Corresponding author Kevin C. Urama Macaulay Institute, Aberdeen, UK and African Technology Policy Studies Network, P.O. Box 10081, Nairobi 00100, Kenya Fax: +254 20 2714028 E-mail: kurama@atpsnet.org Abstract: In Lesotho, some of the industrial wastewater discharges are being released untreated into the environment causing water pollution. This study investigates the extent and impacts of industrial water pollution in Lesotho and the associated effects on human livelihoods in the region. A combination of desk studies, in-field water sampling and socio-economic survey showed that industrial effluents have had significant effects on surface water quality in industrialised areas with knock-on effects on availability of potable water and household incomes in the region. In conclusion, industrialisation in Lesotho has had negative environmental externalities and mixed socio-economic consequences on Basotho livelihoods. Keywords: water pollution; environment; Lesotho; industrial wastewater; effluent; AGOA; African growth and opportunities act; water quality. Reference to this paper should be made as follows: Pullanikkatil, D. and Urama, K.C. (2011) ‘The effects of industrialisation on water quality and livelihoods in Lesotho’, Int. J. Environmental Engineering, Vol. 3, No. 2, pp.175–191. Biographical notes: Deepa Pullanikkatil is the Head of Programme for Civil Engineering at Lerotholi Polytechnic, Maseru, Lesotho. She is Associate Member of Institution of Engineers, India, and her research interests include issues related to water resources management, pollution and rehabilitation and climate change. Kevin C. Urama is the Executive Director of the African Technology Policy Studies Network, Nairobi, Kenya. He is also a Senior Research Fellow at the Macaulay Land Use Research Institute, Aberdeen, UK. His research interests include water and environmental management, valuation of ecosystem services, science, technology and innovation studies and environmental economics.