Roll-out of the Local Climate Adaptive Living Facility approach for adaptation to the impacts of climate change continues a-pace in Lesotho, drawing on lessons learned during the pilot phase, supported by African Development Bank’s Africa Climate Change Fund, or ACCF.

Lessons learned inform the design of adaptation activities using the Local Climate Adaptive Living Facility, LoCAL, and its funding mechanism, which uses Performance Based Climate Resilience Grants to channel finance to local governments for locally-led adaptation to the impacts of climate change.

Implementation of adaptation projects is a joint effort between the District Technical Team (DTT) and Community Councils. The DTT provides technical assistance and guidance to Community Councils, for example, on the use of data and information on climate change risks and vulnerability, and developing an annual activity program for LoCAL using existing adaptation plans.

However, it is the communities themselves that are responsible for identifying adaptation activities, monitoring implementation, expenditure, and ensuring compliance with minimum conditions and performance measures. The Community Council Secretary provides an advisory role to the council and assists in developing council plans, coordinating the implementation of the plans, and reporting.

“We are grateful to LoCAL for providing a grant to improve our water supply system at Tabaliatile. We no longer have to travel long distances to fetch water for our households. Safe, clean water is now available within the village, and we grateful indeed,” said community member, Matumelo Lebatama, during project handover meeting at Tabaliatile, Qhoasing Community Council. “We would like to request LoCAL to consider increasing the grant size to cover more households and villages in future, as we all know that water is scarce in this council and Mohale’s Hoek district at large.”

Takeaways from experience, gathered during the pilot phase, relate to the size of grants, the alignment and use of country systems to ensure the scalability and sustainability of the mechanism, and the development of a list of eligible investments.

With support from the UN Capital Development Fund, the government of Lesotho launched the Local Climate Adaptive Living (LoCAL) mechanism to enhance the climate change resilience of communities in selected councils following the signing of a memorandum of understanding in 2017, with work commencing in 2020.

“LoCAL Lesotho supports the decentralisation process, by transferring grants from central to local level for implementation of adaptation initiatives and by strengthening the capacity of the district and community councils to manage their affairs,” said Mr Bahlakoana Tsolo Mohale’s Hoek District Administrator during the handover meeting at Tabaliatile.

To date, the LoCAL approach has financed sixteen water supply infrastructure projects and one range management project in four Community Councils (Khoelenya, Lithipeng, Qhoasing, and Senqunyane), benefiting close to 6,904 households. Investments and their implementation are designed to create adaptation opportunities and benefits that favour women and vulnerable groups.

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All photos GrEEn Ghana Daniel Quashie 2023