Lesotho is renowned for its natural beauty characterised by spectacular physical formations of cliffs, valleys and mountain tops, as well as unique plants and wetlands. Some of these areas are considered to be rich in biodiversity, have high species endemism and are endowed with wetlands containing unique Alpine bogs. It is not surprising therefore that these areas attract tourists from near and afar who come to enjoy the country’s natural wealth. However, some of the species are declining due several factors such as overharvesting, overgrazing, climate change, land degradation, unprescribed fires, habitat fragmentation, pollution, human wildlife conflicts.

To combat these challenges, the country has developed policies and legislative frameworks to ensure biodiversity conservation. Moreover, Lesotho is signatory to several Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) such as the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (UNCBD) together with its associated protocols namely; Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety and Nagoya Protocol on access to genetic resources and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from their utilisation. For Lesotho to make its commitment tangible and achievable under the UNCBD and its Protocols, a key requirement is to domesticate the global biodiversity obligations into the national context. One of the recent global commitments is the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KM-GBF). The Framework provides strategic direction for implementation of UNCBD objectives and builds on the Convention’s Strategic Plans. Preparation of National Biodiversity Strategies and Actions Plans (NBSAPs) is one of the key mechanisms of domesticating global conservation agenda, specifically the one contained in the KM-GBF. The Government of Lesotho (GOL) through the Ministry of Environment and Forestry was mandated to review its NBSAP II and assess its alignment to the KM-GBF Goals and Targets, and thereafter develop NBSAP III, which is the current document.

The NBSAP III has been prepared to provide Lesotho with practical guidance on measures the country will implement towards conservation of its biodiversity, its sustainable use and ensuring the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from biodiversity utilisation. This will assist Lesotho to comply with its international obligations on biodiversity conservation under the UNCBD and its Protocols, as well as national legislation on related matters. The NBSAP provides background information on status of biodiversity, causes of its loss, the challenges and conservation measures being implemented in the country. NBSAP III also provides findings emanating from assessment of performance of NBSAP II and its alignment to the global KM-GBF Targets. NBSAP II had five Priority Goals and 21 National Targets. NBSAP II has notable achievements which are evident and include the enactment of legislations such as Plastic Levy Regulation 2022 and Environment Fund Regulations 2022; Implementation and institutionalization of the national ICM programme by ReNoka across sectoral plans and programmes; delineation of sub-catchments which affords Lesotho a chance to conserve its biodiversity and water resources, as well as critical ecosystems e.g. wetlands.

Of the 23 global targets set by the KM-GBF, Lesotho has aligned its NBSAP III with the four overarching Global Goals. The country has adapted and revised the earlier Aichi targets to formulate 19 national targets that correspond with these global objectives. These are meant to ensure that ‘by 2030, Lesotho’s ecosystems are supported, conserved, restored and wisely used by a nation which values its biological diversity and are in balanced existence with the natural environment for the benefit of all Basotho’. Supporting plans have been formulated to facilitate the operationalization of NBSAP III, these include Policy Coherence Action Plan, Rapid Biodiversity Assessment Report, Gender Action Plan, Environment and Social Management Plan and Monitoring Action Plan.  The latter includes mechanisms for planning, monitoring, reporting, and review which will track implementation progress for Lesotho’s NBSAP III in line with attaining the KM-GBF aspirations.

The Rapid Biodiversity Assessment Report reveals that even though many ecosystems (such as grasslands, wetlands, and protected areas) still harbour a diverse range of plant and animal species, there are clear signs of decline due to human-induced pressures. Key drivers include overharvesting, overgrazing, unprescribed fires, invasive species, poor range management practices, climate change, pollution, weak enforcement of environmental laws and minimal conservation activities. Some species, such as Merxmuellera species (Moseha), Pelargonium sidoides (Khoara) are heavily harvested for commercial purposes. It is therefore necessary to update the IUCN Red Data Lists particularly for threatened species to assess their conservation status, thus ensure their protection and sustainable use. In addition, continuous research is also important to provide insights into the threats, population status and trends of the different species.

The country has implemented several interventions aimed at conserving biodiversity. These include establishment of Protected Areas (PAs) and botanical gardens, designation of a World Heritages Site (WHS), Biosphere Reserve (BR) and Transfrontier Conservation Areas (TFCA),  deferred grassland areas, establishment of gene banks and community seed banks. The country is also implementing projects and programmes focusing on ecosystem and landscape restoration and resilience, ecosystem-based adaptation, Integrated Catchment Management (ICM), climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Despite concerted efforts and achievements towards biodiversity conservation, the country still faces several challenges. These include lack of comprehensive legislation which specifically addresses biodiversity, biosafety as well as Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS); some of the legislations are still in draft form and have not yet been enacted; there is no single piece of legislation which “holistically” addresses all the KM-GBF targets. These challenges need to be addressed and continuously monitored as the current strategy (NBSAP III) is being implemented and reviewed to ensure that it achieves the set goals and targets. It is therefore recommended that participation of all relevant stakeholders in biodiversity conservation, including private sector and communities, should be enhanced.