8/14/2019 Lesotho Update Winter 2009-2010

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LESO

THO

UPD

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A WHITAKER GROUP PUBLICATION WINTER 2009/2

CLIMATE CHANGE

LESOTHO STANDS

STRONG AT COPENHAGEN

CONFERENCE

A group of 49 Least Developed Countries (LDCs) chairedby the Kingdom of Lesotho called on developed nations in

December to cut their greenhouse gas emissions by at least45% of 1990 levels by 2020, and to make substantive com-

mitments to helping LDCs adapt to and mitigate the effectsof climate change.

Mr. Bruno Tseliso Sekoli, Lesothos Chief Negotiator at theCopenhagen climate change conference and chairman of theLDC group, said guaranteed, long-term financing for tech-nology and capacity-building will be needed if the worldspoorest countries are to avoid sinking further into poverty.ere is need for considerable additional financial and oth-er forms of assistance for adaptation, he said. Most of thenations classified as LDCs are in Africa, which accounts for

just 8.1% of global emissions.Speaking on behalf of the LDC Group, the Right Hon.

Prime Minister, Mr. Pakalitha Mosisili called adaptation toglobal warming a matter of life and death to the LDCs.

e LDCs would like to see developed countries fulfilltheir commitments to support implementation of adaptationthrough provision of finance, technology and capacity-build-ing to the LDCs, he said. e Copenhagen outcome mustensure significant scaling up of funds. ese funds must beaccessible, predictable and sustainable in order to support ur-gent and long-term adaptation programs that reduce vulner-

ability and increase resilience to climate change impacts.Since the establishment in 2001 of a fund to help poorcountries adapt to global warming, 43 of the 49 LDCs, includ-ing Lesotho, have submitted National Adaptation Programsof Action (NAPAs). e final Copenhagen accord called onthe developed world to contribute $100 billion by 2020 tohelp poor nations adapt to climate change and adopt low-emission technologies as part of their development agendas.

Scientists predict that climate change will bring generallydryer and hotter weather conditions to Lesotho. In addition,the intensity and frequency of extreme events such as floodsand droughts are expected to increase, especially in the west-ern and northern lowlands. Water resources, in particular,

will be negatively impacted with an increase in evaporationand a decrease in runoff and groundwater recharge. Range-land conditions may also deteriorate, adversely affectingLesothos livestock industry. ere are also concerns that thepresent indigenous forests may become semi-arid areas andthat agricultural production will decline.

e adaptation measures suggested in Lesothos NAPAinclude stepping up education and outreach measures tochange land management practices; switching to differentfood crop cultivars; improving and conserving soils; enhanc-ing irrigation efficiency and expanding irrigation; developingnew crops; establishing early warning systems; decreasingwater demands; and developing flood and drought monitor-

ing controls.

Econet Telecom Lesotho (ETL), the countrys largest and mobile communications provider, announced in Jary that it has launched a two-way email service avai

to its cell phone customer base, in partnership with Fo

MeNot Africa, a specialist in unified messaging for teleoperators.

ForgetMeNot Africas Message Optimizer brings emrural and urban areas across Lesotho via any mobile phwithout requiring the end user to access the internet, upghis or her device, or download a specific application.

By more than doubling the populations access to ethe new service allows Lesotho to have some of the hest rates of email availability throughout Africa even thonly 3.4% of Basotho have access to the internet. e sebypasses the need for internet access by using text messa(SMS) to send and receive emails.

We are proud to be one of the first companies in Afri

significantly improve the populations access to email viagetMeNot Africas Message Optimizer service, which oup email communications to our entire subscriber basespective of what phone they are using, said Mr. Mpine THead of Retail and Customer Service at Econet TeleLesotho. Our mobile phone customers can now use eto share important information, communicate with faoverseas or friends in another country, or even do buswith people just a few miles down the road, all for theof a local SMS.

With only about 2,000 computers connected to thternet in Lesotho, almost all in urban areas, very few ocountrys two million citizens could access the interne

fore the launch of the new service.

Climate change is expected to accelerate deterioration Lesothos rangelands, which are critical to supporting t

countrys livestock industry.

DIGITAL COMMUNICATION

CELL PHONE TECHNOLOGY

DOUBLES EMAIL ACCESS

8/14/2019 Lesotho Update Winter 2009-2010

2/2PREPAREDBY THE WHITAKER GROUP, REGISTERED FOREIGN AGENTFOR LESOTHO

LOCAL SOURCING

BASOTHO FARMERS TO

GROW SORGHUM FOR BEER

Eight local farmers from Maseru, Berea, Leribe and Mafe-

teng have entered into a partnership with Lesotho Brew-ing Company (LBC), an affiliate of SABMiller, to grow

sorghum for use in locally-brewed beer.e sorghum will be grown from

seed developed at the University ofPretoria in South Africa specificallyfor Lesothos cool, dry climate. Un-til now, LBC has exclusively usedbarley malt imported from Europeto brew beer.

Mr. Ntahli Matete, LBCs Direc-tor of Corporate Affairs, said pro-ducing raw materials for beer inLesotho will cut costs dramaticallyand help farmers secure a market

for their produce.In the pilot phase of the project,

farmers will plant sorghum on eight hectares of land for the2010 harvest. LBC is hoping to expand the project if this ear-ly trial is successful.

SABMiller, the second largest brewer in the world, makesbeer in 15 sub-Saharan African countries. Last year it beganto source ingredients for cheaper beers made from domesticcrops like sorghum and cassava in Africa.

Securing African ingredients could allow SABMiller toslash the price of locally-produced beer by 30%, according toMr. Mark Bowman, who heads the companys African unit.He added that surging commodity prices over recent yearshad in part prompted SABMiller to pursue local sourcing forits beers.

SABMiller is sourcingsorghum in severalAfrican countries

NATURAL RESOURCES

LESOTHO TO EXPAND SAFE

WATER SUPPLYe Government of Lesotho has launched a project to sig-

nificantly increase the supply of safe drinking water to peo-ple living in the capital, Maseru, and adjoining areas.

While over 80% of the countrys citizens already have ac-cess to safe water, rising industrial demand, rapid populationgrowth and periodic droughts have all pointed to the urgentneed for Lesotho to increase its water security, particularly inareas with greater population density.

e Government of Lesotho is committed to meeting thechallenge of water security as an essential element of our sus-tainable development strategy, said Dr. Timothy ahane,Minister of Finance and Development Planning. Providinga reliable water supply to our industries, which account forabout 40% of the gross domestic product, will help us to se-cure economic growth.

In October, the government signed a $25-million financ-

ing agreement with the World Bank for the project, wwill provide 75,000 cubic meters of additional treated wper day to the Maseru urban area. When it is complet2013, water supply coverage in Maseru is expected to r90%, and sanitation coverage is expected to increase 15% in Maseru and 6% in adjoining areas, to 20% and respectively.

e upgrade will support the Lesotho Water and Seage Authoritys efforts to improve water supplies andgrade sewage coverage in the capital as well as in othergrowing urban centers such as Mazenod, Morija, RomaTeyateyaneng.

e project, which is part of the larger, $284-million Mlong Dam and Water Supply Program, will be led by Lthos Metolong Authority. Other financing is being provby the U.S. Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCCArab Bank of Economic Development in Africa (BADthe Kuwait Fund, the OPEC Fund for International Devment and the Saudi Fund for Development.

ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

RURAL HOMES TO GAIN

ACCESS TO SOLAR POWER

More than 350 rural households in the Mokhotlong dis

will gain access to solar power in 2010 as part of thsotho Renewable Energy Based Rural Electrification (L

BRE) program.

e solar power systems,already installed in 222 ru-

ral households, are mainlyused for lighting, radio andtelevision usage, as well asfor charging cell phones.

Funded by the Govern-ment of Lesotho and theGlobal Environment Facil-ity (GEF) through the Unit-ed Nations DevelopmentProgram (UNDP), the solarsystems provide an inexpensive sustainable power sourrural areas that are off the traditional power grid.

Ms. Palesa Motleleng, Training and Communication

cialist in Lesothos Department of Energy, said the aim oLREBRE program is to improve the quality of life in areas and support the governments economic developgoals by facilitating job creation and income-generatintivities in some of the countrys most remote districts.

In addition, the program reduces Lesothos energy-recarbon dioxide emissions by promoting renewable entechnologies as a substitute for fossil fuels in rural areas

Since its inception in 2006, the program has fueledgrowth of a solar power industry in Lesotho and has pred training and support for installers and special finanand courses for solar dealers wishing to expand their epreneurial capacity.

Easily-installed solar systare tranforming the lives

Lesothos rural citizens