The wetlands restoration and
conservation activity will help Lesotho
address widespread
overgrazing and degradation of alpine
wetlands, which are prevalent throughout
the highlands of Lesotho and are an
important ecological and economic
resource that naturally regulates flow
in the Senqu/Orange River Basin and
provides livestock pasture, medicinal
plants, thatch, and other rural
livelihood benefits. Using MCC Funding,
a pilot-scale project will be
implemented to design and apply
restoration measures and examine
alternative land management
prescriptions at three target study
areas, including wetlands at
Khalong-la-Lithunya (Oxbow area),
Kotisephola (Sani Pass area), and
Letśeng-la-Letsie (an
internationally protected Ramsar site
near Quithing).
Specifically, MCC Funding will support
the following tasks:
- establishment of a project
implementation unit within the Lesotho
Department of Water Affairs that will be
responsible for executing the MCC
wetlands restoration and conservation
activity;
- environmental and social baseline data
collection and monitoring at each of the
three target wetland areas, including
purchase and installation of field
monitoring equipment;
- restoration of degraded wetlands and
assessment of alternative long-term
management prescriptions at each of the
three target wetland areas; and
- preparation of a strategic environmental
and socio-economic assessment of
Lesotho’s wetlands that will, as part of
its primary objectives, provide a basis
for establishing a national watershed
management and wetlands conservation
program.
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