Lead country
Lesotho
Participating countries
Lesotho
Project status
Under implementation
Implementing period
From June 8, 2015 to June 8, 2021
Project ID: 4630
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Technical team
- Ecosystems and Biodiversity Programme
Technical area(s)
- Mainstreaming Biodiversity
Sub-area(s)
- Ecosystem-based adaptation
Landscape(s)
- Forests
- FreshWaters
Sub-landscape(s)
- Montane forests
- Rivers and river basins
Transformed sector(s)
- Forestry and other land use
UNDP role(s)
- Capacity development / Technical assistance
- Direct support / Service Delivery
- Policy advice
Strategy
- Governance
- Capacity building
- Management operation
Sub-strategy
- Institutional framework
- Awareness raising
- Sustainable land management
Social inclusion
N/A
Gender equality
- Women's access to and control over resources
- Women farmers
- Livelihoods for women
Gender result effectiveness scale
- Gender responsive
Pathway(s)
- Systems pathway
Risk reduction target(s)
- Improve resilience
SDG target(s)
- 13.2 Integrate climate change into national policies, planning
- 13.1 Strengthen resilience, adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards
- 15.2 Promote sustainable forest management, restoration, afforestation
Conventions and protocols
N/A
Private sector(s)
N/A
Hot topic
- Poverty reduction
About this project
Description
LesothoÔÇÖs vulnerability to climate change emanates from its high dependency on the flow of ecosystem goods and services for socio-economic developmentÔÇöparticularly water provisioning and quality regulation, soil formation and fertility maintenance, and rangeland resourcesÔÇöwhich are projected to be disrupted by the effects of climate change and variability. The small landlocked country occupies 30,588km2 of largely grasslands dominated habitats, divided into 4 ecological zones: the lowlands (17%), the foothills (15%), the mountains (59%), and the Senqu River Valley (9%) . Over 80% of productive arable land and the highest population densities are found in the lowlands. The foothills range in elevation from 1,800 to 2,000 metres above sea level along the lower mountain range. The Senqu River Valley (SRV) is a major grassland area marked by shallow soils. The mountain region ranges from 2,000 to 3,400m above sea level and is primarily used for summer grazing; it hosts some unique alpine and sub-alpine habitats of the Drakensburg range. The country is generally considered to be a grassland biome with a limited forest cover along rivers and in selected sheltered mountain hillsides, where dense woodlands were reported at the turn of the 18th century, dominated by Podocarpus, Cussonias, and Eucleas. Most forests, marshes, reed and Cyperus beds have however disappeared, and been replaced by grasslands and/or bare ground.
Objectives
To mainstream climate risk considerations in the Land Rehabilitation Programme of Lesotho for improved ecosystem resilience and reduced vulnerability of livelihoods to climate shocks.
USD $8,398,172
Grant amount
USD $27,600,000
Leveraged amount (co-financing)
1
Source(s) of fund
Sources of fund
- Least Developed Countries Fund ($8,398,172)
Implementing partner(s)
- Government of Lesotho
Project metrics
Related resources
Geospatial information
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Project reports and documentation