By Kefiloe Kajane
The ministry of forestry’s chief conservation officer, Malefetsane Nthimo, is at pains that Lesotho is among the countries worst hit by increasing soil erosion and land degradation.
According to the 2010 report by the Global Mechanism to United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification through a programme Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) on Lesotho, annual cost of land degradation in Lesotho is estimated at M827 million.
Nthimo said huge dongas are a testimony to the negative effects of soil erosion. He said the bedrocks seen in most areas are also a testimony to lost soil.
He observed that the inhabitants are continuously neglecting land protection initiatives, resulting in the loss of soil surface.
He suggested that farmers are bearing the brunt of the adverse effects as the farming land losses soil fertility. He called for a swift action to curb the negative impacts due to soil loss in order to allow for proper cultivation.
“The top soil which contributes as the medium growth of different plants is gone and there will not be productivity for farmers. It also affects their cultivation land because most parts of the fields are eroded due to human behavior. Funds are needed to bring to a halt these activities
“The problem we have as a country is that our local authorities from different levels do not want to discuss and engage in the issues of land degradation. This is from the councilor, chief and executives in high offices,” he said.
Meanwhile, the cabinet last week decised to enter in an agreement with International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) by borrowing M153 million to help prevent soil erosion and land degradation.
The report by the Global Mechanism to United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification says in Lesotho, 46 000 people were living on degrading agricultural land in 2010,- a decrease of eight percent in a decade, bringing the share of rural residents who inhabit degraded agricultural land up to three percent of the total rural population.
The report explains that land degradation can severely influence populations’ livelihood by restricting people from vital ecosystem services- including food and water- increasing the risk of poverty.
“During the same period (2000-2010), the amount of people residing in remote degrading agricultural areas with limited market access declined by 11 percent, reaching 33 000 people. Populations in remote areas have restricted options for managing land and accessing other benefits of economic development,” the report reads.
