LESOTHO

UNCDF has been present in Lesotho since 1982, stimulating financial service providers to offer pro-poor products and facilitating access to financial services for women.

Today, UNCDF offers “last mile” finance models that unlock public and private resources, especially at the domestic level, to reduce poverty and support local economic development.

UNCDF implemented the Making Access Possible (MAP) programme, producing diagnostics of financial inclusion disaggregated by gender, geography, income and other demographics, while encouraging private investment into expanding rates and outreach of financial inclusion in Lesotho. Through MAP, UNCDF reviewed the implementation of the 2014 MAP diagnostic and 2017 National Financial Inclusion Strategy to consider key market changes and identify financial inclusion interventions that can grow the economy.

The Local Climate Adaptive Living Facility (LoCAL) is promoting climate change–resilient communities and economies via increasing financing for and investment in climate change adaptation at the local level. LoCAL in Lesotho will directly contribute to one of the country’s development plan pillars – reversing environmental degradation and adapting to climate change. The objectives for LoCAL-Lesotho include: increased transfer of climate finance to local governments through national institutions and systems for building verifiable climate change adaptation and resilience; a standard and recognized country-based mechanism which supports direct access to international climate finance