Rangelands and wetlands are the ecological backbone of highland economies. They deliver essential ecosystem services: water, food, carbon sequestration, biodiversity conservation and flood regulation. Rangelands—spanning vast tracts of Lesotho’s mountain landscape—provide forage, fuel and habitat while regulating climate systems. Wetlands complement these functions by filtering water, trapping sediment and ensuring the sustained flow of clean water into river systems.
In 2026, the global community marks the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists, while 02 February commemorates World Wetlands Day, which this year highlights indigenous knowledge and cultural heritage. For Lesotho, these observances are not symbolic—they are directly aligned with the core mandate of the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority (LHDA), implementing authority of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP).
Conservation at the Core of Water Security
The conservation of rangelands and wetlands is intrinsic to the LHWP’s objective of delivering high-quality water in sustained quantities. Equally important, it underpins the livelihoods of communities within project areas and downstream.
Since 2019, under Phase II, LHDA has implemented an Integrated Catchment Management (ICM) Programme focused on restoring degraded landscapes. Through structured collaboration with communities, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, and key stakeholders, the programme has produced tangible results in 13 sub-catchments and 6 wetlands.
Thousands of local community members have been engaged as casual workers in rehabilitation activities, including:
- Brush control
- Construction of stone/trash lines and infiltration pits
- Indigenous grass reseeding and tree planting
- Soil erosion control and slope stabilization
These interventions are designed to enhance water retention, reduce sedimentation and ensure a steady flow of clean water to the Polihali Dam. They also protect grazing lands vital to livestock-based livelihoods in communities that depend heavily on wool and mohair production.
‘M’e ‘Mammuso Makakamela of Matsoaing, currently engaged in rehabilitation work at Thaba-Phats’oa, confirms visible improvements:
“LHDA has opened our eyes to the benefits of protecting the catchment. Our area is beautiful again, and the grass has regrown for our livestock.”
Her testimony reflects broader outcomes. With international wool and mohair buyers increasingly scrutinising environmental stewardship, animal welfare and sustainable land management practices, the ICM programme strengthens the market credibility of Mokhotlong’s producers—long recognised for premium fibre quality.
National Recognition for Thaba-Phats’oa
The Thaba-Phats’oa rehabilitated area received formal recognition during the national launch of the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists on 21 January 2026. The Minister of Environment and Forestry, Honourable Letsema Adonts’i, commended the initiative:
“LHDA’s rangelands rehabilitation efforts in this area are exemplary. We also commend pastoralists for protecting these rehabilitated areas.”
According to Mrs ‘Mats’episo Tlebere, Senior Officer: Integrated Catchment Management at Polihali, rehabilitation at Thaba-Phats’oa commenced in 2024 due to its strategic position within the Sehonghong River catchment—making it critical for downstream water security.
She attributes success to strong coordination among LHDA, the Ministry, pastoralists and local authorities who actively enforce sustainable grazing practices and safeguard restored areas.
Knowledge Exchange Strengthens Scientific Partnerships
From 24 to 26 February 2026, the rehabilitation initiatives received international attention through a visit by the British High Commission, accompanied by sediment specialists, a social geographer and a geologist from the University of Plymouth. The visit focused on knowledge exchange, collaborative research and technical learning around sediment management, hydrological restoration and the socio-ecological dynamics of highland catchments. The engagement reinforces LHDA’s commitment in international research partnerships supporting long-term water security.
Wetlands Restoration: Rebuilding Hydrological Integrity
Wetlands rehabilitation is equally central to sustainable water provision. Work in the Polihali catchment began with a comprehensive baseline survey in the last quarter of 2024 to assess Phase II wetlands and identify priority sites for water delivery.
The findings revealed severe degradation, including:
- Extensive gully (donga) formation
- Invasive brush infestation
- Soil compaction reducing infiltration
- Disrupted hydrological flow
Primary drivers included cattle posts established within wetlands, chronic overgrazing, poorly designed road culverts altering natural drainage patterns, and continuous livestock trampling. These pressures compromised hydrological functioning and ecological productivity.
The assessment informed a restoration plan recognising the interdependence between upland rangelands and downstream wetlands. Just as with rangeland rehabilitation, wetlands restoration has been grounded in robust stakeholder engagement.
Consultations with the Principal Chief, local authorities, farmers and herders ensured collective ownership. Catchment boundaries were demarcated, and cattle posts relocated to designated grazing zones outside wetlands—an essential step in reducing direct ecosystem pressure and restoring regenerative capacity.
Technical Interventions Driving Recovery
Since 2024, targeted interventions have been implemented to enhance groundwater recharge and stabilise degraded terrain. These include:
- Strategic removal of invasive brush species
- Repurposing cleared biomass as moisture-retention barriers
- Installation of donga locks to increase water table and hydrate the wetland and increase sub-surface water flow through promotion of grass cover
Ntate Bongani Makakamela observes tangible differences:
“When it rains, the Sehonghong River runs with clean water in rehabilitated areas, unlike sections not yet restored.”
Expanding Impact Across Mokhotlong
To date, the LHDA ICM Programme has rehabilitated 18 sub-catchments in Mokhotlong. Restoration efforts are ongoing or completed in areas including Mots’eremeli, Malingoaneng, Malubalube, Molalana, Ts’ilants’o and Makhomalong.
In October 2025, restoration began on six priority wetlands critical to supplying water to the Polihali Dam, including Masenkeng in the Sehonghong sub-catchment—the largest cluster—followed by Bafali and Upper Mokhotlong.
As Lesotho marks the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists and World Wetlands Day, the message is clear: safeguarding rangelands and wetlands is not merely environmental stewardship—it is strategic infrastructure protection. Through science-based rehabilitation and community partnership, LHDA is restoring ecosystems that sustain water security, preserve cultural heritage and strengthen rural livelihoods for generations to come.
