Improving Adaptive Capacity of Vulnerable and Food-Insecure Populations in Lesotho Launch

Please allow  me pay my respect to: 

His Majesty King Letsie III

The Right Honourable the Prime Minister

The Honourable President of the Senate

The Honourable Speaker of the National Assembly

The Honourable Deputy Prime Minister

Honourable Ministers, particularly the Minister of Environment and Forestry and the Minister of Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition

Senior Government Officials

Their Excellencies, Members of the Diplomatic Corps

Members of the Media

Ladies and Gentlemen

Bo mme le Bo Ntate Good Morning,

It is a pleasure to join you for the launch of Phase II of the project “Improving Adaptive Capacity of Vulnerable and Food-Insecure Populations in Lesotho”. Communities across the country are already contending with more erratic rainfall, longer dry spells, rising temperatures and increasing strain on land and water resources. In a context where many rural households depend on rain-fed agriculture and livestock, these shifts affect harvests, incomes and food security in very direct ways.

Since 2020, the Government of Lesotho, with the support of the World Food Programme (WFP) through partnership with the Adaptation Fund, has worked to remove the barriers climate change places on the daily livelihoods of Basotho.

We have seen what is possible when government capacity is strengthened, when women and youth, particularly people with disability, are empowered with climate information, and when communities take the lead in their own resilience-planning. Phase I proved that knowledge is our best defence.

As the United Nations Secretary-General has cautioned, climate change is moving faster than our responses. He has been clear that adaptation is no longer optional. For countries like Lesotho, adaptation is about protecting development gains and safeguarding the most vulnerable. It is about ensuring that climate shocks do not become permanent setbacks for households already navigating poverty, unemployment and inequality.

In fact, the 2025 Annual Vulnerability Assessment projected that 258,300 people in rural areas would face Crisis levels of food insecurity between May and September 2025, increasing to 334,100 people later in the year. Overall, more than 524,000 Basotho are expected to be food insecure during the 2025/2026 consumption year. These projections highlight the scale of vulnerability and reinforce the urgency of strengthening resilience at household and community level.

Therefore, bo Mme le bo Ntate, what makes this second phase of IACoV particularly important is its recognition that resilience cannot be built in isolation. Climate risk, food systems, gender equality and nutrition are deeply interconnected. When rainfall fails, crop yields decline. When harvests decline, dietary diversity suffers. When income shrinks, coping strategies can become harmful and inequalities deepen. Adaptation must therefore be effective in addressing systems, strengthening institutions, improving access to information, supporting sustainable land management and expanding economic opportunity, particularly for women and young people.

Within the framework of the UN Lesotho Cooperation Framework 2024–2028, climate action is firmly anchored under Strategic Pillar 2, which focuses on sustainable, inclusive and resilient economic transformation. Through this pillar, the UN system in Lesotho is supporting the Government to strengthen climate governance, promote climate-smart agriculture, enhance disaster risk reduction, improve natural resource management and mobilise climate finance. IACoV Phase II is therefore not a standalone intervention; it contributes directly to the broader, system-wide effort of the UN family to integrate climate resilience across development planning and implementation.

This project strengthens the capacity of national institutions to anticipate and manage climate risks more effectively. It promotes the use of climate information in ways that are meaningful at community level. It also supports more forward-looking approaches to risk management, shifting from reactive crisis response toward anticipatory action. At the same time, it invests in practical measures that enhance livelihoods, improving agricultural practices, restoring productive landscapes, and creating pathways for diversification and market access.

Bo Mme le bo Ntate, 

Climate change is often described as a threat multiplier. It is also a governance challenge. It tests our ability to coordinate across ministries, integrate scientific information into planning, and ensure that national development strategies respond to emerging risks. I commend the leadership of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition for advancing this coordinated approach. I also recognize the World Food Programme and the Adaptation Fund for their partnership and continued investment in Lesotho’s resilience.

What matters now is implementation. Acting early reduces risk. Acting in a coordinated manner reduces duplication and optimises resource use. Acting with communities ensures sustainability. Phase II builds on the progress made under Phase I, taking forward what has worked and strengthening areas that require greater support. It provides a framework to strengthen early warning systems, rehabilitate degraded land, improve agricultural resilience and expand livelihood opportunities in the districts that need it most.

The United Nations will continue to work alongside the Government of Lesotho, development partners and local communities to ensure that climate resilience is integrated into planning, budgeting and service delivery. Adaptation and innovation must continue to be part of how we design agriculture policies, manage natural resources, support smallholder farmers and protect vulnerable households.

Resilience is not achieved through a single intervention. It requires sustained investment, institutional coordination and accountability. It requires that climate information informs decision-making at every level - from national policy to the farmer preparing a field. It requires that women and young people have equal access to opportunities created through adaptation efforts.

Today’s launch signals a shared commitment: to reduce vulnerability and strengthen preparedness, and to move from reactive response to anticipatory action, and from short-term coping to long-term resilience.

Kea Leboha!