Resource information
The objectives of this NAP is to structure and guide the implementation of the UNCCD and define the elements of strengthening environmental capacities, enhance public awareness and mobilize active participation in order to better manage the natural resources, combat DLDD.The objective also contains elements of strengthening the policy, legal and institutional foundations for environmental management.In order to structure overall programme of the NAP, the five programme areas that were formulated in 1998 and reviewed and adopted as part of NAP in 2005 have been subjected to a series of stakeholder consultations starting November 2013 in an effort to align the 2005 NAP with the 2007 10 Year UNCCD Strategy. The result has been elaboration of 4 strategic and 5 operational objectives to guide the implementation of NAP. These are considered as different dimensions of the programme, and each of these have been further structured with its own sets of objectives and activities. The four strategic objectives and 5 operational objectives provide the basis for strengthening coordination and arriving at partnership to support various activities to be undertaken for successful implementation for the UNCCD in Lesotho.The four strategic objectives are: (i) to improve the living conditions of affected populations, (ii) to improve the condition of affected ecosystems, (iii) to generate global benefits through effective implementation of the UNCCD, (iv) to mobilize resources to support implementation of the Convention through building effective partnerships between national and international actors. These are then elaborated into the following 5 operational objectives each of which is described in terms of a varying number of outcomes: (i) advocacy, awareness raising and education (3 outcomes), (ii) policy framework (5 outcomes), (iii) science, technology and knowledge, (iv) capacity-building (2 outcomes), (v) financing and technology transfer.In order to make agriculture, forestry and fisheries more productive and sustainable, the government plans technical measures to alleviate the pressures on the natural resources base among others the following activities: (i) improve production systems in order to achieve greater productivity whist conserving natural resources and in the framework of integrated approach to rural development, (ii) appropriate management of existing natural formations for the conservation of biodiversity, watershed protection, sustainable production and agricultural development in those areas not yet affected by desertification, (iii) rehabilitation through, inter alia, soil and water conservation, of moderately to severely areas affected by DLDD dry lands for utilization and sustainable production, (iv) increased vegetative cover and improved management of biological resources in regions affected or prone to desertification and drought through afforestation or reforestation, agro-forestry, community forestry and vegetation retention schemes, (v) increase and improve livestock farming and veterinary services.Regarding the reduction of rural poverty, the government plans to implement the following activities: (i) to carry out labour-intensive and environmentally sound farming systems, (ii) to provide employment opportunities, in support of environmental rehabilitation, (iii) to provide employment opportunities in environmental rehabilitation activities of a public nature, (iv) to provide additional sources of income thereby improving the living standards of rural poor, (v) to provide solidarity assistance for activities of resources rehabilitation which are beyond the capacity of the village population, (vi) to provide access to information on Government programmes and responsibilities.To increase the resilience of livelihoods to disasters, the government plans national strategies for drought preparedness in both the short and long term, aimed at: (i) reducing the vulnerability of production systems to drought, (ii) early warning system to enable implementation of strategies for drought intervention, (iii) drought relief schemes and means of coping with environmental refugees and integrated them into national development planning.In the context of governance, the NAP plans to establish monitoring systems that frequently give feed back to planning levels information dealing with response and lessons learned which are relevant for future implementation of environmental rehabilitation activities. It plans also to improve coordination among all the stakeholders (from grass roots level to the highest level of Government).
