MASERU – Lesotho is set to implement a five-year project aimed at restoring degraded land and helping vulnerable rural communities cope with the effects of climate change.
The project, Nature-Based Solutions for Increased Climate Resilience in Vulnerable Rural Communities of Lesotho, will cover Maseru, Mafeteng, Mohale’s Hoek and Quthing districts. It is expected to run for 60 months from November 2026.
The initiative is being implemented by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry through the Department of Soil and Water Conservation, in partnership with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), with support from the Global Environment Facility (GEF).
Speaking at the project’s inception workshop in Maseru on Wednesday, Minister of Environment and Forestry Thabo Mofosi said parts of southern and western Lesotho were facing prolonged drought and increasing land degradation, affecting the environment and rural livelihoods.
He said the project would promote working with nature to restore degraded land, protect water resources and improve food security, particularly in vulnerable communities.
Minister Mofosi said the country needed to move away from responding to environmental damage only after it occurred and instead adopt long-term approaches to protect its land and people.
Country Director for South Africa at the
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Dr Vhalinavho Khavhagali said the project had been in development since 2022, following consultations with government and other stakeholders on how nature-based solutions could address the country’s environmental challenges.
He said the initiative also recognised the connection between climate change, environmental protection, people’s livelihoods and the economy, particularly in the targeted districts.
Meanwhile,Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Environment and Forestry Mr. Apesi Rats’ele said the Department of Soil and Water Conservation was responsible for protecting, conserving and rehabilitating Lesotho’s landscapes through sustainable soil and water management.
He said Lesotho had been a party to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) since 1994 and remained committed to meeting its obligations through national and regional frameworks, including the National Action Programme of 2015 and the Southern Africa Great Green Wall Initiative.
Through the planned interventions, the project seeks to help rural communities better manage the effects of climate change while restoring the natural resources on which their livelihoods depend. Its success will depend on how effectively these interventions are put into practice at community level
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