Lesotho gains a hand to fight climate risks

Efforts by Lesotho to ease climate change risks have gained a boost after an African Union agency agreed to work with the government of the southern African country to tackle the problems.

The African Risk Capacity Group on Saturday signed a memorandum of understanding with Lesotho aimed at scaling up the country's capacity for risk management in relation to national disasters and for improving financing efforts.

The agreement also involves training of government personnel, among other assistance, in support of the country's objectives.

The Lesotho government said in a statement that it would work hard to ensure that the agreement is implemented, adding that the help from the African Risk Capacity Group will benefit its people.

A treaty establishing the agency was signed in 2012. It was founded by African Union member states to better prepare for, and respond to, natural disasters and extreme weather events. Lesotho signed the treaty in December 2019.

"This MoU will not just be an agreement for the sake of agreement," Lesotho's statement said. "It will be implemented and produce tangible results. The government of Lesotho is eager to join efforts with the African Risk Capacity Group to address the persistent climate risks faced by the country, especially in the context of drought."

Ibrahima Diong, the director-general of the African Risk Capacity Group, said the agency will work with Lesotho's government to achieve the aims of the agreement as well as improve the country's capacity to better plan for and respond to extreme weather events and disasters.

Diong said the need for countries to strengthen their disaster risk-response capacities using the African Risk Capacity Group's model has become more urgent with the increasing variability of weather patterns and more intense droughts across the continent.

Multiple threats

"The agency understands that natural disaster risks are not avoidable, but the consequences could be managed with the right tools such as those we have effectively deployed in the many African countries that have faced similar catastrophes," he said.

Lesotho, with the threats posed by prolonged drought, has been highly vulnerable to climate risks.

According to the United Nations, more than 500,000 people－a quarter of the country's population－face severe hunger because of the drought that began last year. It caused a 60 percent fall in cereal production last year, compared with 2018.

Food insecurity in Lesotho has been aggravated by loss of jobs due to the coronavirus pandemic. This scenario has pushed girls into early marriage, according to the World Vision International.

The World Food Programme estimates that more than 40 percent of the population are short of food. Additionally, food prices have increased due to coronavirus lockdown measures.

As of Monday, Lesotho had 1,940 coronavirus infections and 43 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins University.