National Climate Change Policy Implementation Strategy CCPIS, 2017.

This document is premised on the National Climate Change Policy (CCP) of the Kingdom of Lesotho. It presents a five-year Implementation Strategy (CCPIS) of the National Climate Change Policy. The overall objective of the CCPIS is to affect the implementation of the Climate Change Policy. It identifies action guidelines to build a climate resilient society and promote green development pathways by mainstreaming and integrating climate change into key national socio-economic and environmental sectors. The strategic objectives of the CCPIS are three: 1. increase resilience of Lesotho to the impacts of CC by reducing climate risks to people, ecosystems and built environment while restoring and ensuring the rational use and the protection of natural resources; 2. identify and make use of opportunities to reduce GHG emissions that simultaneously contribute to the sustainable and affordable use of natural resources and access to finance and technology and reduce pollution and environmental degradation; and 3. strengthen the governance, institutional and human capacity enabling access to technological and financial resources for the implementation of the CCP with equal participation of women, men, youth, vulnerable groups, civil society and private sector.
The Strategy is based on the 22 policy statements identified in the CCP. It identifies adaptation and climate risk reduction as issues of national priority. It also recognizes the need and potential to mitigate climate change through low carbon development pathways without prejudice to sustainable development. The strategy further identifies cross-cutting issues of pivotal importance in ensuring sustainable implementation of the climate change policy. The strategic actions are presented first by policy statement, covering adaptation and risk reduction and/or mitigation and low carbon development, or by the cross-cutting issue. They are referred to the statements defined in the Policy: Strengthening climate early warning systems and improvement of climatic information, including Research and Systematic Observation (RSO); Enhancement of the resilience of water resources by promoting the integrated catchment management, ensuring access, supply and sanitation; Development/promotion of climate-smart agriculture and food security systems; Development/promotion of renewable energy sources and increasing energy efficiency; Promotion of climate resilience in the mining sector; Adaptation and reduction of greenhouse emission in manufacturing; Climate proofing and increasing the efficiency of the tourism sector; Enhancement of best practices for forestry and rangelands to mitigate and adapt to climate change; Increasing the resilience of environment, ecosystems and biodiversity; Addressing of impacts on human health; Promotion of low-carbon and climate change resilient transport systems and infrastructures; Enhancing the resilience of natural and cultural and heritage; Promotion of Agro-ecological/Districtal/Local approaches to addressing climate change; Strengthening climate change governance framework; Promotion of the participation of women and men, youth and other vulnerable groups; Promotion of the participation of the civil society; Promotion of the participation of the private sector; Promotion of Research and Development, Innovation and Technology Transfer; etc.
CCPIS is guided by principles and pillars of: a) adaptation and climate risk reduction; b) mitigation and low carbon development pathways; c) governance d) Climate finance and investment framework as well as e) cross-cutting issues. The strategy establishes action guidelines for mainstreaming climate change into key socio-economic sectoral plans and programmes while safeguarding environmental integrity and sustainable development in Lesotho. For the effective implementation of the Policy, the Strategy recognises institutional framework for coordination, Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) as key implementation arrangements. Furthermore, the CCPIS includes targets, responsibilities and estimated costs. The CCPIS is aligned with the second National Strategic Development Plan (NDSP II), the Ministerial Strategic Plan, the Intended National Determined Contribution (INDC), the National Adaptation Programme of Actions (NAPA) and the national Communications (NC).
The vision of the Climate Change Policy and its Implementing Strategy is to build climate change resilient, low-carbon society and prosperous economy and environment in Lesotho. The Mission aims at: increasing climate change resilience and improving the wellbeing of Basotho through mainstreaming and implementing concrete measures for adaptation and climate risk reduction, mitigation and low-carbon development focusing on the most vulnerable, aiming at sustainable development, with active participation of all stakeholders in the social, environmental and economic sectors. The Strategy is based on the guiding principles of Policy which emanate from the UNFCCC, Sendai Framework on Risk Reduction and the Paris Agreement African Union Agenda 2063 as well as National Development Policies, Plans and Programmes. The strategic objectives of the CCPIS are: 1. increase resilience of Lesotho to the impacts of Climate Change by reducing risks to people, ecosystems and built environment while restoring and ensuring the rational use and the protection of natural resources; 2. identify and make use of opportunities to reduce GHG emissions that simultaneously contribute to the sustainable and affordable use of natural resources and access to finance and technology and reduce pollution and environmental degradation; and 3. strengthen the governance, institutional and human capacity enabling access to technological and financial resources for the implementation of the CCP with the equal participation of women, men, youth, vulnerable groups, the civil society and the private sector.