Lesotho’s King Letsie the Third has launched the Integrated Catchment Management System, which is hailed as crucial for the wellbeing and continuous flow of the river systems.
The initiative was launched during a local awareness campaign drive on Saturday.
The project is aimed at the Senqu/Orange River, which originates from Lesotho and passes through South Africa, Botswana and Namibia.
Lesotho contributes to the annual runoff of the water, which supplies majority of the water consumed by at least 12 million people in the South African province of Gauteng.
However, due to land degradation and erosion caused by unsustainable land use patterns – aggravated by climate change – this natural resource faces a significant threat.
A reason why the mountainous kingdom has embarked on the Integrated Catchment Management project.
The initiative seeks to rehabilitate degraded watersheds across Lesotho and to put in place mitigating efforts that will halt any further degradation of Lesotho’s catchment areas.
Report on the launch:
King Letsie the Third says the natural resources in Lesotho can benefit the entire region.
“It has become an urgent imperative for our country to embark upon an intergrated approach that encompasses different stakeholders in the protection of our wetlands and related eco-systems. This approach will help us to achieve sustainable and efficient management of our water resources and natural habitat,” says the King.
However, this joint effort by all stakeholders, requires much patience, discipline and collaboration.
“Anyone who intends to contribute, only donates projects of value that will yield results to the benefit of society. And I commit to the Minister of Water that I James Motlatsi as a citizen here, I intend to play part to the success of such a project,” says James Motlatsi, who was speaking on behalf of the diaspora.
While the ministers took a vow to protect these catchment areas, His Majesty and the herdsmen exchanged pleasantries as a pact of commitment.
“This is how we too can save our own country,” said one Mosotho.
“I’m saying – if the area is declared a graze free zone, we should comply,” added another.
The European Union (EU) is one of the country’s partners in this initiative
