Lesotho s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) is the improved version of the Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) which Lesotho presented to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in September 2015. Lesotho s unconditional and conditional targets are a reduction of GHG emission by 2030 compared to BAU by 10% and 35%, respectively. The NDC also contains the adaption measures and policies. Lesotho also intends to undertake numerous adaption measures and initiatives to enhence resilience and reduce vulnerability of her population, environment and economy to The adverse impacts of climate change.
According to the NDC, the main opportunities for mitigation are in energy efficiency and demand management, coupled with increasing investment in a renewable energy programme for the electricity, building construction, and waste sectors. Potential energy mitigation measures include: Improve energy efficiency by 20% by 2020; Increase electricity coverage/access to 35% of households by 2015, 50% by 2020, and 80% by 2030; Increase renewable energy sources by 200MW by 2020 (35 wind by 2017, 40MW solar by 2018, and 125 hydropower by 2025); Distribute efficient stoves with a penetration rate of 30% by 2030; Reduce the use of wood to 10% of fuels used for heating by 2030; Replace fuel-wood with LPG at a rate of 10% per annum from 2020 to 2030. Potential waste mitigation measures include: Introducing targets for waste reduction (e.g. % of waste sent to landfill), and recycling; Reducing traditional use of firewood in households with sufficient livestock, by installing biogas digesters to generate cooking gas.
Many actions/plans/targets for adaption outlined in the NDC have co-benefits on strengthening food security, poverty reduction, and resilience, which include: Sorghum breeding for high yield and drought tolerance; Smallholder Agriculture Development Project; Cropping Systems (2011 - 2017); Lesotho Block Farming Initiatives; High efficiency irrigation systems: Gravity & Drip; etc.
The NDC contains adaption measures to promote agriculture production in an environment sustainable manner, including: 1. Capacity building in sustainable forest management; 2. 120,000 ha reforestation from 2015 to 2030; 3. Land rehabilitation program; 4. Reducing vulnerability from climate change in the foothills, lowlands and the Lower Senqu River Basin; 4. Wetlands restoration and rehabilitation project; 5. Developing capacity for climate change adaptation capacity in the agricultural sector; Eco-system based climate change adaptation in southern Lesotho; Strengthening Capacity for climate change adaptation through support to integrated watershed management programme in Lesotho; etc.
The NDC seeks more inclusive and efficient agricultural and food systems through adaption actions, including: Conservation advocacy, extension/training, research integration into formal curricula; Climate change adaptation of small-scale agricultural production; Lesotho wool & mohair improvement project (2015-2022); Develop mechanisms to improve access to climate change adaptation technologies (2015-2020); Improvement of Capabilities to Cope with Natural Disasters caused by Climate Change; etc.