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June 19, 2021

STAFF REPORTER

3 min read

Community warned of dangers of desertification

Community warned of dangers of desertification

Minister of Forestry, Ranges and Soil Conservation Motlohi Maliehe

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MINISTER of Forestry, Ranges and Soil Conservation Motlohi Maliehe says the overall objective of commemorating the World Desertification and Drought Day is to create awareness on danger and consequences brought by desertification, land degradation, drought and climate change in all countries that agreed to celebrate the day.

The minister made the remarks on Thursday during the celebration of the World Desertification and Drought Day held in Ha Patsa, Quthing.

The commemoration he said among others equipped the community with skills on how to combat desertification and its consequences.

Desertification is a type of land degradation in dry-lands in which biological productivity is lost due to natural processes or induced by human activities whereby fertile areas become increasingly arid.

Studies show that nearly one fifth of the world’s land is threatened by desertification.

Mr Maliehe said some of the signs of desertification include land that no longer produces quality crops like it used to, adding that such land has low yields, shortage of water and poor range that does not accommodate both human beings or livestock.
He said districts at risk of desertification include Mafeteng, Mohale's Hoek and Quthing (especially along the Senqu Valley).
Speaking at the same occasion, the UNAIDS Country Director Jacqueline Makokha said desertification will erode farmers’ livelihoods as their farms become less productive and more effort is needed to produce smaller yields.
She said smallholder farmers are mostly affected by climate change as they have less buffers to survive a hard season.
Ms Makokha said desertification deteriorates food security, declines harvest and depreciates arable land.

She said between October 2020 and March 2021, 40 percent of the population of Lesotho equivalent to 582 000 people experienced acute food insecurity while every year a significant (20 percent) number of Basotho are food insecure.

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For her part, the Assistant President of the Food Agricultural Organisation (FAO) Lesotho Ramoketenyane Nthimo said the body has been involved in the fight against desertification in the area for full five years from 2014.
He said the project operates in the foothills, lowlands and highlands.

He thanked the community of Ha Patsa for working hard in ensuring that the project becomes a success.

The day was commemorated under the theme – “Restoration Land Recovery, We Build Better with Healthy Land”. LeNA

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