i is all about natural resouresource economics

1. GROUP PRESENTATION
EC4682 NATURAL RESOURCE ECONOMICS
201802501 Motsoane Motsoane
201701719 Tokonye Sebatane
201801148 Hlabathe Qhobela
201701352 Tebello Maisa
201701388 Ithabeleng Kotelo

2. outline
Key words
Objective
Introduction
How Lesotho Adopted and Mitigated under different sectors

3. KEY WORDS
Climate change: It refers to a long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns.
Adaptation, in response to current climate change, is reducing climate risks and
vulnerability mostly via adjustment of existing systems. Many Adaptation options exist
and are used to help manage projected climate change impacts, but their
implementation depends upon the capacity and effectiveness of governance and
decision-making processes. It can also generate multiple additional benefits such as
improving agricultural productivity, innovation, health and well-being, food security,
Livelihood, and biodiversity conservation as well as reduction of risks and damages.

4. …..continued
Mitigation, involves reducing the flow of heat-trapping greenhouse gases in the
atmosphere, either by reducing sources of these gases or enhancing the sinks that
accumulate and store these gases. The goal of mitigation is to avoid significant human
interference with the climate system and stabilize the greenhouse gas levels in a
timeframe sufficient to allow ecosystems to adapt naturally to climate change, ensure
that food production is not threatened and to enable economic development to
proceed in a sustainable manner.

5. Objective
In this presentation we are going to learn how the country of Lesotho has striven to
adhere to national commitment under the UNFCC through different adaptations and
mitigations.

6. Introduction
The rise in temperatures has been observed in recent decades resulting to 0.7 ° C
increase from 1970 to 2000. Climate change has affected several sectors, for instance;
subsistence agriculture, Forestry. According to Lesotho's 2nd National Newsletter,
future scenarios are bleak, they predict changes in warmer temperatures and
precipitation patterns, especially lower summer precipitation and late summer rainfall.
Scenario also shows an increase in the intensity and frequency of extreme weather
events such as floods and droughts. Drought conditions are widespread in southern
Africa, but in recent years Lesotho has had more frequent droughts and flash floods.

7. Adaptation and Mitigation in Lesotho
Sectors
Agriculture
Forestry
Energy
Waste
Transport

8. Agriculture
Conservation Agriculture on Wheat at Thaba-Tseka and Highlands (Mokhotlong,
Maseru Highlands, Linakeng, Mants’onyane).
 Productivity; Increases yield over time.
 Adaptation; Reduces land degradation, reduces soil erosion, conserves soil moisture
for use by plants during dry spells and improves soil fertility.
 Mitigation; Conserves biomass in the soil hence improving below ground carbon
storage

9. …continued Agriculture
Disease Management on Poultry in the highlands, Lowlands, Senqu River Valley,
Foothills.
Productivity; Increases weight of live birds; increases laying rate. Reduces mortality
and hence improves productivity and profitability.
Adaptation; Healthy poultry result in improved resilience to climate hazards
Mitigation; Slightly reduces emissions, though not significantly.

10. Forestry
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Lesotho, in partnership with
the Ministry of Forestry, Range & Soil Conservation and the Ministry of Agriculture
and Food Security, launched a project named Reducing Vulnerability from Climate
Change (RVCC) in the Foothills, Lowlands and Lower Senqu River Basin, to address the
imminent threat of climate change in the lives of Basotho in 2015. The Project is
implemented in the district of Mohales’Hoek in the three councils namely; Khoelenya,
Thaba-Mokhele and Lithipeng, this project has helped the communities residing in
the project sites with creative sustainable solutions for climate-smart farming and
land management practices.

11. …continued Forestry
The RVCC project was introduced to the Makilanyaneng village at Thaba-Mokhele
Council in 2017 and the community of Makilanyaneng embarked on removal of
invasive wild shrubs (sehalahala) on approximately five hectares of the rangelands as
their adaptation strategy on the land. The process is done to restore the grass land so
as to enable the restore of indigenous plants that are suitable for animal grazing and
also the community engaged in building structures of stone lines along the grazing
land slopes to prevent soil erosion during heavy rains. Silt traps were also built in the
dongas to halt their enlargement and therefore contribute to the rehabilitation of the
land.

12. ...continued Forestry
Agroforestry is a method and system of land management involving the simultaneous
cultivation of farm crops and trees; agriculture incorporates the growing of trees such
that it ensures a continuous food supply, some continuous economic return, and the
avoidance of soil degradation.
As stated by UNDP (2011) agroforestry has emerged as an important strategy to adapt
to climate change in Mafeteng district. For example farmers from Ts'akholo and Kolo
communities have adopted trench and keyhole gardens, conservation agriculture and
agroforestry as important adaptation strategies for climate change.

13. …..continued Forestry
Tree planting has become another adaptation strategy for farmers where they use
trees to rehabilitate gullies and integrate them with crops in their fields. Farmers said
that fruit trees in their fields provided fruits for consumption and helped in
controlling soil erosion (by providing ground cover with their canopy and leaves) and
improve soil fertility through falling leaves.
In addition, some farmers from Kolo diversified crops in order to counteract the
effects of climate change. Their common practice is to plant maize, beans and
pumpkins together or mix a variety of vegetables in their backyard.

14. Energy sector
Electricity Imported from Eskom are planned to be substituted with multipurpose
dams on Makhaleng, Hlotse and Senqu with a capacity to generate an additional
150MW. This is because of the carbon dioxide it emits from the 90% burning of coal.
Traditional dependence on biomass utilization will be substituted by extending grid-
access electricity to more households.
The substitution of fossil fuels with green power household, industrial and commercial
sectors will substantially reduce the amount of GHG emissions.

15. Waste sector
The country has adopted some approach that aim to manage waste efficiently like the
integrated Solid Waste Management Plan (ISWMP) for the Maseru city was developed
in 2007. The plan was developed with the help of the United Nations Environment
Program (UNEP) to address problems associated with waste management by
recommending effective waste management methods with the view of protecting
human health and the environment. It comprised of the following five pillars:
 Capacity to prevent wasteful resource use at source
 Strong, diversified and appropriate collection system
 A health recycling industry
 An environmental safe disposal site Education and awareness

16. …continued Energy sector
Biogas Technology and Decentralized Wastewater Treatment Systems (DEWATS): Its
objective is to treat wastewater in an environmentally friendly manner in which
Biogas produced is used for cooking reducing emissions of greenhouse gases,
especially methane gas from escaping to the atmosphere but also for utilizing treated
effluent as soil conditioner to prevent pollution of water bodies.
 Installation of centralized and decentralized biogas digesters in public institutions to
reduce energy costs and GHG emissions.
 Emission reductions to be realized in two areas, namely: Wastewater treatment
because of burning the CH4 in the biogas and converting it to CO2, and Using
biogas to supply the energy needs of those institutions, replacing fossil based
energy sources.

17. Transport Sector
The National Climate Change Policy - designed to ensure environmental sustainability
and enhance socioeconomic viability
Policy statement: promote low-carbon and climate resilient transport system.
Policy objectives: Develop climate proof infrastructure
Policy actions: Strengthen roads standards
Policy objectives: Provide education on technologies related to efficient transport
systems
Policy actions: Encourage the use of bicycles

18. Conclusion
The Government will, as thus, promote private and public investment to harness the
country’s renewable energy potential, appropriate technologies to reduce biomass
and fuel consumption to maintain low carbon emissions, reduce pollution while
preventing loss of biodiversity and ecosystems. Furthermore, Lesotho plans to explore
the potential to export renewable power to the SADC region. Investments in green
energy technologies will reverse the trends in deforestation and soil erosion and
enhance the use of more efficient technologies for space heating and cooking.
Adoption of green technologies will likely rebuild Lesotho’s natural capital as a critical
economic asset and source of livelihoods especially for the poor people whose
livelihoods and food security depend on nature.