Lesotho

DS4LDN Component 2 Country

About

Lesotho is a partner country in DS4LDN component 2, working to strengthen national capacities for monitoring land degradation and translating evidence into action for Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN).

As a predominantly mountainous country, Lesotho faces particular challenges for monitoring land degradation. Its experience through DS4LDN will contribute to the co-development of guidance and approaches that can also support other mountainous countries.

The project works closely with the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Department of Soil and Water Conservation, under the leadership of the UNCCD National Focal Point (NFP) and Science and Technology Correspondent (STC).

DS4LDN will support Lesotho in improving its assessment of SDG indicator 15.3.1 through a participatory approach combining national knowledge and data with Earth observation, cloud computing and high-resolution information. The project will also support the further refinement of national LDN targets and the co-development of an LDN Decision Support System (DSS) to help translate monitoring results into planning, prioritization and action.

Training and hands-on co-development will be central throughout the process, strengthening national capacities and ensuring ownership of the resulting data, tools and methodologies.

Latest activities

Lesotho Advances UNCCD Reporting Through Participatory Land Degradation Assessment

The Ministry of Environment and Forestry, through the Department of Soil and Water Conservation, convened a stakeholder workshop in September 2026 to support reporting under UNCCD Strategic Objective 1. Thirty participants from government, civil society, and development partners used geospatial data, local knowledge, and a Google Earth Engine application to assess land degradation indicators and validate priority areas. Supported by Apacheta and WOCAT through the DS4LDN project, the workshop strengthened Lesotho’s 2026 UNCCD reporting process and national ownership of the results.

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Lesotho brings its LDN experience to UNCCD COP17

Lesotho was actively represented at UNCCD COP17 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, by UNCCD National Focal Point Nkuebe Lerotholi and Science and Technology Correspondent Polao Moepi. Throughout the COP, they contributed Lesotho's experience and perspectives on land degradation neutrality (LDN), data and decision support to several technical and policy discussions.