A Human Enriching Voyage of More than Half a Decade: The Reducing Vulnerability from Climate Change Project (RVCC) Comes to an Impactful End!

January 3, 2022

'Me Manthabiseng Thebane, RVCC Beneficiary

The Global Environment Facility (GEF) Funded Project, Reducing Vulnerabilities to Climate Change (RVCC) finally closes after being implemented for six years in the councils of Khoelenya, Thabo-Mokhele and Lithipeng in the Mohale’s Hoek district. The main aim of the Project was to reduce communities’ vulnerability to the effects of climate change, thereby making them more resilient through mainstreaming climate risk considerations into the Land Rehabilitation Programme of Lesotho. This aim is linked to one of UNDP’s pillars, environmental sustainability, climate change and resilience, as well as SDG 13, Climate Action. The biggest questions now that the project has come to an end, are: (i) Are people less vulnerable to climate change? (ii) Are the communities more resilient to handle the environmental shocks imposed by climate change, and; (iii) Will there be sustainability of the work done through the Project?.

The Minister of the Ministry of Forestry, Range and Soil Conservation, Honourable Motlohi Maliehe,  is pleased with the achievements of the RVCC Project and sees it as a model that can be replicated throughout the country. During his site visit in Lithipeng, he indicated that he is committed to leading teams in his Ministry to ensure that the activities of the Project are continued with or without donor funds and in other parts of the country. He said,

“What we see at all the project sites is nothing short of success, particularly on the land rehabilitation interventions. I visited most of the sites before implementation of the project to review the extend of the degradation of rangelands.  Most were infested with invasive shrubs and had many rocks. Today I am so happy to see the impact that has been brought by brush control and removal of rocks. The rangelands are fully rehabilitated and people’s livestock enjoys the rich grass. Indeed the whole of Lesotho should learn from this Project”

For most beneficiaries, including the Government Ministries, capacity building is seen as the biggest gain, something that no one can take away from them. The Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Forestry, Range and Soil Conservation, Mr. Lefu Manyokole, is convinced that RVCC has brought lasting changes in people’s lives through the capacity it has built. When asked what has been the biggest achievement of the Project, he said, “Knowledge tops all benefits coming from this Project. Capacity building is the biggest takeaway for us as a Government Ministry and other line ministries and particularly for the communities. The communities are resilient because they now know what to do to avert the terrible effects of climate change”.

The Project’s main goal was to work with the communities to improve their land management skills as well as their farming skills as a way of adapting to climate change. The biggest input of the Project is the fact that Communities, including local authorities, have been capacitated on different aspects to build their resilience against climate change.  Through the Project, communities learnt innovative approaches to land rehabilitation such as soil conservation skills including donga rehabilitation, brush control, building of stone lines, practising rotational grazing, practising crop rotation and conservation agriculture. Moreover, to improve the food security for households, they also learned climate smart farming methods such as protected farming and permaculture. As part of the support of the Project,  they were given farming equipment and tools, seeds, fruit trees, shade nets, water harvesting equipment, chickens, bee keeping equipment, energy efficient stoves and water harvesting tanks; to increase their resilience to climate change effects.

The Qaqatu Constituency Representative, Hon. Lethusang Kompi, commended UNDP and the Ministry of Forestry, Range and Soil Conservation for the sterling job of uniting his community and supporting them to be resilient, thereby preventing them from seeking minor jobs outside the country. “I am very grateful for the work done through this Project. There are many milestones that have been achieved through which I am very proud of. We have orchards with good fruits such as apples and peaches in our villages. I believe it is time we realise the potential of our land and multiply the work done through the RVCC Project and invest our energy in farming. The work that people seek on South African farms can actually be created in our land. RVCC has started the good work for us that now needs our commitment to continue. It is for our own benefit”, he said. 

The communities attested to the fact that their lives will never be the same after the impact brought by the RVCC Project. ‘Mapoloko Leteane, one of the villagers from Lithipeng, expressed her gratitude to the Project for reducing food insecurity in their villages. She said that through the Project, all households have been given all the support in a form of tools, seeds and other inputs, to produce food. “We all have vegetables in our gardens. Our children are enjoying the abundant produce of vegetables such as tomatoes and can be seen picking them freely. We have highly nourished children. The malnutrition, which we once saw increasing in our villages, is now history. We have enough food for the whole year. We preserve excess food where necessary”, she said.

The Project team was made of different experts who brought tremendous value to the work done among the communities. Among them was the Permaculture Expert, Mr. Kevan Zunkel, who taught people how to produce food through the permaculture farming method. Permaculture is new to most of the communities and has been completely embraced as many are already enjoying the greatest yields from their gardens. Mr Zunkel was instrumental in facilitating the development of an exit strategy, which he says is one key deliverable that has given him hope that the Government remains committed to continue the work done. He said that the process that was followed to compile the sustainability strategy challenged the implementing partners to take cognisance of what the project had achieved and to develop strategies aimed at capitalizing on these achievements. Indeed the implementing partners identified the achievements, prioritized them and then specified exactly how they would go about ensuring that these impacts were sustained. Mr Zunkel further added: 

“At no time in the process was anything imposed on the implementing partners, except that a sustainability strategy was required. The fact that the Principal Secretary of  the Ministry of Forestry, Range, Soil and Conservation participated in the process could be construed as a sign that it will enjoy prominence in the ministry's planning and activities into the current and near future. This may be underlined by the fact that the Minister also took time to look into and contribute to the process of formulating the strategy. It could be said that on this basis there is a good chance that the project gains will be sustained, not only by the Ministry, but also by the other related ministries who were present and participated during the process”

Hope persists that the Government of Lesotho will continue to spur and support communities to use climate smart agriculture even now after the project has come to an end. While there is an indication that the Government is on course to continue the good work started through the RVCC Project, the issue of resources needs urgent attention.

The Project invested in awareness-raising and strengthening the capacity of relevant community groups and government institutions. Government officers are better equipped to advise and lead in climate change interventions as a result of the knowledge and experience they have gained from the Project. The lives of the people have changed for the better as they have acquired new and sustainable land management and farming skills which can withstand climate change. As per the objective of the project at its inception, climate risk considerations have been mainstreamed into the Land Rehabilitation Programme of Lesotho, and broadly within the councils of Khoelenya, Thabo-Mokhele and Lithipeng in the Mohale’s Hoek district, as well as government ministries. Communities are indeed well-positioned to be less vulnerable to climate change effects, to contribute to the improvement of the ecosystem and not its degradation, and to remain resilient to handle environmental shocks. Congratulations to the RVCC Team and the Government of Lesotho for a job well-done!

The Global Environment Facility (GEF) Funded Project, Reducing Vulnerabilities to Climate Change (RVCC) finally closes after being implemented for six years in the councils of Khoelenya, Thabo-Mokhele and Lithipeng in the Mohale’s Hoek district. The main aim of the Project was to reduce communities’ vulnerability to the effects of climate change, thereby making them more resilient through mainstreaming climate risk considerations into the Land Rehabilitation Programme of Lesotho. This aim is linked to one of UNDP’s pillars, environmental sustainability, climate change and resilience, as well as SDG 13, Climate Action. The biggest questions now that the project has come to an end, are: (i) Are people less vulnerable to climate change? (ii) Are the communities more resilient to handle the environmental shocks imposed by climate change, and; (iii) Will there be sustainability of the work done through the Project?.

 

The Minister of the Ministry of Forestry, Range and Soil Conservation, Honourable Motlohi Maliehe,  is pleased with the achievements of the RVCC Project and sees it as a model that can be replicated throughout the country. During his site visit in Lithipeng, he indicated that he is committed to leading teams in his Ministry to ensure that the activities of the Project are continued with or without donor funds and in other parts of the country. He said,

 

“What we see at all the project sites is nothing short of success, particularly on the land rehabilitation interventions. I visited most of the sites before implementation of the project to review the extend of the