Lesotho

National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan

Sub-Saharan AfricaApplies through 2030Source: National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan

1. Overview

Lesotho's third National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP III) was developed by the Government of Lesotho through the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, with technical assistance from UNEP and funding from the Global Environment Facility [§11][§12]. The strategy covers biodiversity conservation, sustainable use, and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from biodiversity utilisation, serving as the mechanism for domesticating the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework into the national context [§11].

NBSAP III sets 19 national commitments*Lesotho's NBSAP III defines 19 national targets numbered 1–19, adapted from the Aichi framework and aligned to the 23 GBF Targets. This page uses "national commitment" to avoid confusion with the 23 GBF Targets. mapped across the four GBF Goals (A–D), with a costed action plan totalling USD 162,806,919 [§51][§52]. Rather than adopting the GBF's 23 targets directly, Lesotho adapted its commitments from the previous Aichi framework and aligned them to the GBF structure — the numbering does not correspond one-to-one with GBF Target numbers [§51]. Nine supporting plans operationalise the strategy, including a Resource Mobilisation Plan, Gender Action Plan, and Monitoring Action Plan, though these are annexed separately and not detailed in the main document [§11].

The strategy identifies several legislative gaps, including a lack of legislation that "holistically" addresses all GBF Targets, and notes that both the CITES Bill and the Biosafety Bill have been approved by Cabinet but await parliamentary processes [§11]. The predecessor NBSAP II was only validated as an official policy document in 2025, and its implementation is described as having proceeded without a structured monitoring plan [§41].

Lesotho's NBSAP III is distinguished by a granular, per-action costed plan totalling USD 162.8 million, a protected-area target of 17% rather than the GBF's 30% benchmark, and a Payment for Ecosystem Services programme budgeted at USD 11.8 million. The strategy names eight priority species for Biodiversity Management Plans and proposes establishing an entirely new statutory body — the Lesotho Environment Authority — at a cost of USD 7.5 million.

Sources:

  • §11 — FOREWORD > EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
  • §12 — Part I > 1.0 Introduction > 1.1 Background
  • §41 — FOREWORD > 3.2 Key implementation challenges and lessons learnt
  • §51 — FOREWORD > 4.4 National biodiversity goals and targets
  • §52 — FOREWORD > 4.5 National Biodiversity Action Plan

2. Ecological Context

Lesotho is home to approximately 70% of the Drakensberg Alpine Centre, a globally recognised biodiversity hotspot in the Maluti-Drakensberg Mountains of southern Africa [§24]. The country's entire territory falls within the Grassland Biome, comprising 15 grassland vegetation types, with Lesotho Basalt Grassland as the most prevalent [§24]. Special habitats include high-altitude wetlands and Alpine environments.

The country harbours 3,093 plant species, 82 mammals, 43 reptiles, 19 amphibians, 14 fish, 340 birds, and 1,279 invertebrates [§24]. Several species are true endemics, including the Sehlabathebe Water Lily (Aponogeton ranunculiflorus), the Spiral Aloe (Aloe polyphylla), the Maloti Minnow (Pseudobarbus quathlambae), and the Ice Rat (Otomys sloggetti) [§24].

Five formally protected areas cover approximately 14,510 hectares: Sehlabathebe National Park (6,500 ha), a UNESCO World Heritage Site forming part of the transboundary Maloti-Drakensberg Park with South Africa; Tšehlanyane National Park (5,600 ha); Bokong Nature Reserve (1,970 ha); Liphofung Cave and Cultural Heritage Site (6 ha); and Letša-la-Letsie (434 ha), a designated Ramsar site [§30]. Tšehlanyane and Bokong have jointly been designated as the Matšeng Biosphere Reserve, the country's first UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve [§30]. The NBSAP does not state what percentage of Lesotho's 30,355 km² these areas represent.

Land degradation is identified as one of the largest drivers of biodiversity loss, with the highest degradation levels in the Lowlands and Senqu River Valley, attributed to fragile duplex soils, intensive land-use change, and hydrological processes [§23]. Lesotho's geology — basalt in the Highlands and sedimentary rocks in the Lowlands — "predisposes it to severe land degradation" [§23]. The NBSAP identifies both indirect drivers (poverty, population growth, poor rangeland management, the communal grazing system) and direct drivers (habitat transformation, unsustainable cultivation, over-exploitation, uncontrolled fires, invasive alien species, pollution, and climate change), noting that "most of these factors are human-induced" [§25].

Wildfires present an additional pressure. Multiple fire incidents occurred between July and August 2024 across the country, including within three protected areas, attributed to "the presence of human activities in the cattle posts, villages and in the foothills and conflicts emanating from grazing disputes and livestock theft" [§25].

Sources:

  • §23 — FOREWORD > 2.2 Biophysical context
  • §24 — FOREWORD > 2.3 National biodiversity status
  • §25 — FOREWORD > 2.3.1 Causes and consequences of biodiversity loss
  • §30 — FOREWORD > 2.3.5.1 Baseline situation and achievements

3. National Commitments and GBF Alignment

Lesotho adopts the four GBF Goals verbatim (A–D) and sets 19 national commitments adapted from the Aichi framework and aligned to GBF Targets [§51]. The commitments are organised below by the GBF's thematic structure. Where Lesotho's numbering differs from GBF numbering, both are noted.

Conditions of Nature

National commitment 2 (GBF Target 2 — Ecosystem restoration): "By 2030, 30% of degraded terrestrial ecosystems, especially wetlands and rangelands restored." The action plan allocates USD 51.2 million — the largest single commitment — including USD 35.3 million for a national rehabilitation and restoration programme and USD 11.8 million for Payment for Ecosystem Services initiatives. Indicators include ecosystem condition mapping and PES exchange agreements. Measurable commitment (quantitative threshold of 30%, defined scope, deadline of 2030).

National commitment 7 (GBF Target 3 — Protected areas): "By 2030, at least 17% of terrestrial ecosystems of particular importance for biodiversity conserved through ecosystem-based approaches and integrated into wider landscapes." This 17% threshold is carried over from the Aichi framework rather than adopting the GBF's 30% benchmark. The action plan (USD 18.2 million) includes strengthening management of the five existing protected areas, implementing the MDTP Spatial Assessment to identify and gazette new areas, establishing community-based conservation areas such as Maboella, and facilitating biodiversity stewardship on privately-owned and military land [§53]. Measurable commitment (quantitative threshold of 17%, deadline of 2030).

National commitment 8 (GBF Target 4 — Species recovery): "By 2030, at least 20% of known threatened species prevented from extinction, their conservation status improved and sustained." The action plan (USD 8.4 million) names eight priority species for Biodiversity Management Plans: Aloe polyphylla, Pelargonium sidoides, Merxmuellera spp., Bulbine narcissifolia, Dicoma anomala, Hypoxis hemerocallidea, Maloti Minnow, and Bearded Vulture [§51]. A captive breeding programme for the Bearded Vulture is already operational [§42]. Actions include establishing botanical gardens and gene banks and expanding Qacha's Nek Snake Park into a zoological garden. Measurable commitment (quantitative threshold of 20%, deadline of 2030).

Reducing Pressures

National commitment 3 (GBF Target 10 — Agriculture/forestry): "By 2030, at least 30% of areas under agriculture, aquaculture and forestry managed sustainably, ensuring conservation of biodiversity." The action plan (USD 7.8 million) addresses climate-smart agriculture, community forestry management, aquaculture policy development including the Blue Economy Strategy, and genetic diversity of indigenous livestock and crop breeds through gene testing, sequencing, and community seed banks [§54]. Measurable commitment (quantitative threshold of 30%, deadline of 2030).

National commitment 4 (GBF Target 6 — Invasive alien species): Invasive alien species and pathways identified, prioritised, and priority species controlled or eradicated by 2030. The action plan (USD 6.6 million) includes an unusual provision: studies on the socio-economic value of selected IAS, particularly Rosehip (Rosa rubiginosa, harvested at 3,756 tonnes), and management of their commercialisation [§54]. Directional aspiration (no quantitative threshold; "identified and prioritised" is procedural).

National commitment 5 (GBF Target 8 — Climate and biodiversity): "Multiple anthropogenic pressures on vulnerable ecosystems impacted by climate change and environmental degradation reduced by 20%." National commitment 11 (GBF Target 8) further commits to conserving and restoring at least 30% of degraded ecosystems for carbon stocks, with actions including Nature-based Solutions programmes and Clean Development Mechanism projects at USD 8.8 million [§54]. Measurable commitment for commitment 5 (quantitative threshold of 20%), though the baseline metric for "anthropogenic pressures" is unspecified. Measurable commitment for commitment 11 (30% threshold, deadline of 2030).

National commitment 6 (GBF Target 7 — Pollution reduction): Pollution brought to levels "not detrimental to ecosystem functioning and biodiversity" by 2030. The action plan (USD 12.3 million) centres on establishing waste management infrastructure, including the Tšoeneng landfill (USD 6.5 million, identified but not yet operational) and waste and pollution control legislation [§54]. Directional aspiration (no quantitative threshold defined).

National commitment 1 (GBF Target 16 — Sustainable consumption): Sustainable production and consumption with impacts "well within safe ecological limits." The associated action plan focuses on reviewing the national EIA process rather than addressing consumption patterns or food waste [§53]. Directional aspiration (no quantitative threshold; "safe ecological limits" not defined).

Tools and Solutions

National commitment 9 (GBF Target 17 — Biosafety): Protection measures in place for LMO management by 2030. LMO laboratories are established at the National University of Lesotho and Agricultural Research; the Biosafety Bill is approved by Cabinet and awaits parliament [§54]. Directional aspiration (procedural commitment).

National commitment 12 (GBF Target 13 — Genetic resources/ABS): "Appropriate ABS legislation and policy instruments in place" for Nagoya Protocol implementation by 2030, explicitly including Digital Sequence Information. The action plan (USD 4.4 million) constitutes the entirety of Goal C and includes developing national ABS policy, Traditional Knowledge Policy, and model ABS agreements [§55]. Directional aspiration (binary institutional deliverable).

National commitment 13 (GBF Target 18 — Harmful subsidies): Incentives harmful to biodiversity eliminated, reformed, or phased out. The action plan (USD 460,000) is the smallest budgeted commitment, tasking the Bureau of Statistics with developing a national database of positive and negative incentives [§56]. Directional aspiration (no quantitative threshold).

Implementation and Means

National commitment 17 (GBF Target 21 — Data and information): "70% of the population aware of the values of biodiversity" by 2030, with a baseline assessment planned for 2026/27 [§54]. Measurable commitment (quantitative threshold of 70%, deadline of 2030).

National commitment 18 (GBF Target 19 — Finance mobilisation): "USD 4 million mobilised from local sources and USD 25 million from international sources" by 2030 [§51]. Goal D frames this as progressively closing the biodiversity finance gap of USD 27 million per year. Measurable commitment (quantitative thresholds with currency amounts, deadline of 2030).

National commitments 10, 14, 15, 16, 19 address, respectively, participatory NBSAP development (GBF Target 14), financial resource mobilisation (GBF Target 19), capacity building and technology transfer (GBF Target 20), mainstreaming into development plans (GBF Target 14), and gender equality (GBF Target 23). All are classified as directional aspirations — they specify intent and institutional mechanisms but defer quantitative thresholds.

In total, 8 of the 19 national commitments are measurable commitments (2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 11, 17, 18) and 11 are directional aspirations. No commitments are classified as interim.

Sources:

  • §42 — FOREWORD > 3.3 Key implementation achievements
  • §51 — FOREWORD > 4.4 National biodiversity goals and targets
  • §53 — FOREWORD > Goal A: Protect and Restore (logical framework)
  • §54 — FOREWORD > Goal B: Prosper with Nature (logical framework)
  • §55 — FOREWORD > Goal C: Share Benefits Fairly (logical framework)
  • §56 — FOREWORD > Goal D: Invest and Collaborate (logical framework)

4. Delivery Architecture

Institutional Arrangements

The Ministry of Energy and Meteorology (MEF) leads the majority of national commitments, with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition (MAFSN) and the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftainship, Home Affairs and Police (MLGHAP) as co-leads on specific commitments [§53][§54][§56]. The action plan assigns institutional responsibilities to each action, pairing lead institutions with supporting bodies from across government, academia, civil society, the private sector, and community-based organisations.

A central institutional reform is the proposed establishment of the Lesotho Environment Authority (LEA), budgeted at USD 7,500,000, with a sequenced plan from feasibility study through Cabinet approval to enactment of establishing legislation [§56]. The NBSAP also commits to establishing or resuscitating biodiversity governance committees (USD 2,058,825) and developing a Public-Private Partnership framework for biodiversity conservation (USD 764,705) [§56].

Under NBSAP II, the Department of Environment decentralised biodiversity, pollution, and EIA functions to district level, and some councils have drafted by-laws for natural resources and biodiversity [§36]. NBSAP III continues this trajectory, allocating USD 6.9 million for mainstreaming biodiversity into national, district, and local development plans [§53].

Legislative Framework

Key enacted legislation includes the Environment Act 2008, Land Act 2010, National Heritage Act 2011, Mines and Minerals Act 2005, Forestry Act 1998, and the National Parks Act 1975 [§34]. The Plastic Levy Regulations 2022 and Environment Fund Regulations 2022 are the most recent legislative instruments [§42]. Pending legislation includes the Biodiversity Bill, CITES Bill, and Biosafety Bill — each approved by Cabinet and awaiting parliament [§34].

Key Programmes

Named conservation and restoration programmes include Regeneration of Livelihoods and Landscapes (ROLL), Improving Adaptive Capacity of Vulnerable and Food-Insecure Populations in Lesotho (IACOV), the Wool and Mohair Value Chain Competitiveness Project (WAMCoP), and the national integrated catchment management programme implemented through ReNoka and the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority [§30]. GEF-funded projects include a medicinal plants conservation and ABS project, integration of Natural Capital Accounting, and the Biodiversity Financing Initiative (BIOFIN) [§30].

Prior Implementation

The NBSAP acknowledges that NBSAP II and its implementation plans "were only validated recently (in 2025), and adopted as an official document," and that implementation "has not been done in a structured manner that tracks progress against the set indicators" [§41]. Progress is described as "haphazard," with no monitoring plan in place and requisite frameworks "never developed and/or approved" [§41].

Sources:

  • §30 — FOREWORD > 2.3.5.1 Baseline situation and achievements
  • §34 — FOREWORD > Legislation
  • §36 — FOREWORD > 3.0 Performance of NBSAP II
  • §41 — FOREWORD > 3.2 Key implementation challenges and lessons learnt
  • §42 — FOREWORD > 3.3 Key implementation achievements
  • §53 — FOREWORD > Goal A: Protect and Restore (logical framework)
  • §56 — FOREWORD > Goal D: Invest and Collaborate (logical framework)

4a. Medicinal Plant Harvesting and the Biotrade Economy

Commercial harvesting of medicinal plants is woven through at least five of Lesotho's national commitments and represents a distinctive structural feature of the NBSAP. The strategy provides unusually detailed quantitative data on the scale of wild-species trade: issued harvest permits record 728.4 tonnes of Pelargonium sidoides harvested across 15 areas, with harvesting "more rife" in Matsoku, Semonkong, and Qanya at approximately 100 tonnes per area [§25]. Hypoxis hemerocallidea and Dioscorea anomala populations are reported as declining due to over-exploitation for commercial trade [§25]. Six commercially harvested species are documented with tonnages, the most heavily harvested being Rosa rubiginosa (Rosehip, an exotic invasive) at 3,756 tonnes [§25].

Communities engage in biotrade activities, selling medicinal plants such as Pelargonium sidoides and Merxmuellera sp. to supply international markets [§26]. The NBSAP addresses this intersection through multiple instruments: Biodiversity Management Plans for priority harvested species under national commitment 8; CITES legislation (approved by Cabinet, awaiting parliament) under the same commitment; ABS frameworks and Traditional Knowledge Policy under national commitment 12; sustainable livelihood and biotrade programmes under national commitment 2; and the permitting system regulating harvest and sale under national commitment 1.

The Traditional Healers Association is named as a supporting institution for ABS implementation, and prior informed consent is specified for community engagement on benefit-sharing agreements [§55]. A GEF-funded project on "Promoting Conservation, Sustainable Utilisation, and Fair and Equitable Benefit-Sharing from Lesotho's Medicinal Plants for Improved Livelihoods" is already operational [§30].

Sources:

  • §25 — FOREWORD > 2.3.1 Causes and consequences of biodiversity loss
  • §26 — FOREWORD > 2.3.2 Biodiversity and ecosystems value
  • §30 — FOREWORD > 2.3.5.1 Baseline situation and achievements
  • §55 — FOREWORD > Goal C: Share Benefits Fairly (logical framework)

5. Monitoring and Accountability

The Ministry of Energy and Meteorology holds lead responsibility for implementation oversight across the majority of national commitments [§53]. The NBSAP includes a Monitoring Action Plan informed by a Monitoring Systems Gap Analysis Report, which identified gaps and barriers in the national biodiversity M&E system [§61].

The monitoring framework specifies national targets, headline indicators, component indicators, and complementary indicators, with mechanisms for planning, monitoring, reporting, and review aligned with the GBF [§61]. The plan specifies that monitoring "will be done more frequently compared to evaluation" and that terminal evaluation at the end of the NBSAP III cycle is "critical" [§61]. National commitment 10 allocates USD 2,863,333 for strengthening monitoring mechanisms, including development and operationalisation of an M&E plan, establishment of monitoring systems, and production of M&E reports [§56].

Individual commitments include their own M&E components: the protected areas programme provides for monitoring and evaluation plans and environmental surveillance equipment [§53], and the mainstreaming commitment includes M&E systems with data management protocols for sectoral biodiversity integration [§53]. Multiple sector-specific databases are planned, including databases on invasive alien species, LMOs, pollution hotspots, wildlife crimes, and biodiversity incentives.

A Stakeholder Engagement Plan and Communication Strategy Plan are prepared as standalone annexes [§11]. National commitment 19 commits to a Biodiversity Gender Action Plan aligned with the KM-GBF Gender Action Plan 2022–2030 and the National Gender and Development Policy 2018–2030, with specific reference to women, youth, herders, people living with disability, and LGBTI as groups whose participation is to be strengthened [§56].

Sources:

  • §11 — FOREWORD > EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
  • §53 — FOREWORD > Goal A: Protect and Restore (logical framework)
  • §56 — FOREWORD > Goal D: Invest and Collaborate (logical framework)
  • §61 — FOREWORD > 5.4 Monitoring Action Plan

6. Finance and Resource Mobilisation

The NBSAP III action plan carries a total indicative budget of USD 162,806,919 across all 19 national commitments [§52]. Goal B (Prosper with Nature) accounts for USD 73.8 million, Goal A (Protect and Restore) for USD 57.1 million, Goal C (Share Benefits Fairly) for USD 4.4 million, and Goal D (Invest and Collaborate) for the remainder [§53][§54][§55][§56].

The largest individual budget allocations are USD 35.3 million for the national rehabilitation and restoration programme (national commitment 2), USD 11.8 million for Payment for Ecosystem Services initiatives (national commitment 2), and USD 8.8 million for Clean Development Mechanism projects led by the private sector (national commitment 11) [§54]. The PES programme includes identifying and valuating essential ecosystem goods and services, identifying buyers and sellers, and developing exchange agreements.

National commitment 18 sets mobilisation targets of USD 4 million from domestic sources and USD 25 million from international sources by 2030, with Goal D framing the objective as progressively closing the biodiversity finance gap of USD 27 million per year [§51]. Nearly all action items are costed to "GoL and donor funding" without further disaggregation between government and external contributions [§54][§55].

The NBSAP notes that as a Least Developed Country, Lesotho "is presented with more funding opportunities than other countries in the Developing or Developed category," highlighting the GEF and Green Climate Fund as specific opportunities [§40]. On the domestic side, the Plastic Levy Regulations 2022 and Environment Fund Regulations 2022 are identified as financial instruments enacted under NBSAP II [§42]. No revenue figures or collection rates are provided for either instrument. A Resource Mobilisation Plan is annexed separately; its contents are not detailed in the main document [§11].

Sources:

  • §11 — FOREWORD > EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
  • §40 — Part I > Opportunities and Threats
  • §42 — FOREWORD > 3.3 Key implementation achievements
  • §51 — FOREWORD > 4.4 National biodiversity goals and targets
  • §52 — FOREWORD > 4.5 National Biodiversity Action Plan
  • §53 — FOREWORD > Goal A: Protect and Restore (logical framework)
  • §54 — FOREWORD > Goal B: Prosper with Nature (logical framework)
  • §55 — FOREWORD > Goal C: Share Benefits Fairly (logical framework)
  • §56 — FOREWORD > Goal D: Invest and Collaborate (logical framework)

7. GBF Target Coverage

Target 1: Spatial planning — Mentioned

The NBSAP does not contain a standalone spatial planning commitment. National commitment 16 includes an action to develop and implement Integrated Land Use Plans with spatial and zoning plans, maps, and guidelines (USD 2,058,825, 2027/30). National commitment 1 commits to reviewing the national EIA process.

Target 2: Ecosystem restoration — Addressed

National commitment 2 commits to restoring 30% of degraded terrestrial ecosystems by 2030, with emphasis on wetlands and rangelands. The action plan (USD 51.2 million) is the most heavily resourced commitment in the NBSAP. Key instruments include a national rehabilitation and restoration programme (USD 35.3 million), PES initiatives with buyer-seller identification and exchange agreements (USD 11.8 million), rangeland management through grazing associations and bylaws, and community eco-tourism and biotrade programmes. Indicators include ecosystem condition and vulnerability mapping.

Target 3: Protected areas (30x30) — Addressed

National commitment 7 sets a conservation target of 17% of important terrestrial ecosystems by 2030 — below the GBF's 30% benchmark. The baseline includes five formally protected areas totalling approximately 14,510 hectares, with UNESCO World Heritage, Ramsar, and Biosphere Reserve designations. The action plan (USD 18.2 million) includes strengthening PA management, implementing the MDTP Spatial Assessment to gazette new areas, establishing community-based conservation areas (e.g. Maboella), facilitating biodiversity stewardship on military land, and establishing law enforcement programmes with a national database on wildlife crimes. A re-introduction plan for locally extinct wildlife is budgeted at USD 3.3 million.

Target 4: Species recovery — Addressed

National commitment 8 commits to preventing extinction of at least 20% of known threatened species by 2030. The NBSAP names eight priority species for Biodiversity Management Plans: Aloe polyphylla, Pelargonium sidoides, Merxmuellera spp., Bulbine narcissifolia, Dicoma anomala, Hypoxis hemerocallidea, Maloti Minnow, and Bearded Vulture. A captive breeding programme for the Bearded Vulture is already operational. The action plan (USD 8.4 million) includes establishing botanical gardens, gene banks, and zoological gardens.

Target 5: Sustainable harvest — Mentioned

No dedicated national commitment addresses sustainable harvesting as framed by GBF Target 5. The NBSAP documents a permitting system for six commercially harvested species with detailed tonnage data. Sustainable harvest elements are distributed across national commitments 1 (sustainable production), 2 (biotrade), and 8 (species management plans and pending CITES legislation).

Target 6: Invasive alien species — Addressed

National commitment 4 commits to identifying, prioritising, controlling, or eradicating IAS and managing pathways by 2030. The action plan (USD 6.6 million) includes an unusual provision: studies on the socio-economic value of selected IAS, particularly Rosehip (3,756 tonnes harvested), and managing their commercialisation. Other actions include reviewing the Weed Eradication Act 1969, developing an IAS Management Strategy, and establishing quarantine facilities at ports of entry. Existing IAS management plans operate in the Maloti-Drakensberg Transfrontier Conservation Area and Sehlabathebe National Park.

Target 7: Pollution reduction — Addressed

National commitment 6 commits to bringing pollution to levels "not detrimental to ecosystem functioning" by 2030. The action plan (USD 12.3 million) centres on waste management infrastructure, including the Tšoeneng landfill (USD 6.5 million, not yet operational), recycling centres, pollution hotspot profiling, and water quality and effluent discharge standards. The Plastic Levy Regulation 2022 is already enacted. Indicators include safely treated wastewater, litter trends including microplastics, and fertilizer use.

Target 8: Climate and biodiversity — Addressed

Two national commitments address this target. National commitment 5 commits to reducing anthropogenic pressures on vulnerable mountain ecosystems and wetlands by 20% by 2030. National commitment 11 commits to conserving and restoring at least 30% of degraded ecosystems for carbon stocks. The combined budget exceeds USD 17.7 million, with the largest single item being Clean Development Mechanism projects at USD 8.8 million (led by the private sector). Other instruments include Nature-based Solutions programmes, vulnerability mapping, carbon sequestration assessment, and City and Urban Greening Programmes.

Target 9: Wild species use — Mentioned

No standalone national commitment addresses sustainable management of wild species for vulnerable populations. Elements are distributed across national commitments 1 (sustainable production and consumption), 2 (community biotrade), and 8 (species management plans). The permitting system regulating harvest and sale of biodiversity resources is an existing mechanism.

Target 10: Agriculture / forestry — Addressed

National commitment 3 commits to sustainably managing at least 30% of areas under agriculture, aquaculture, and forestry by 2030. The action plan (USD 7.8 million) includes climate-smart and conservation agriculture, community forestry programmes, aquaculture policy development, gene banks and community seed banks, and gene testing and sequencing of indigenous livestock and crop breeds. The Blue Economy Strategy is under development.

Target 11: Ecosystem services (NbS) — Addressed

NBSAP III addresses ecosystem services through multiple instruments. National commitment 11 includes Nature-based Solutions programmes with an NbS strategy to be developed as an overarching framework (USD 2.9 million). National commitment 2 includes PES initiatives (USD 11.8 million) with identification and valuation of ecosystem goods and services. The ICM programme is already institutionalised through ReNoka across sectoral plans. Existing programmes include ROLL, IACOV, and WAMCoP.

Target 12: Urban biodiversity — Mentioned

National commitment 11 includes one action to introduce City and Urban Greening Programmes (USD 1,029,411), with outputs including feasibility studies, site identification, and green gardens and spaces. This addresses the green-space component of GBF Target 12 but does not encompass urban biodiversity planning.

Target 13: Genetic resources / ABS — Addressed

National commitment 12 commits to having ABS legislation and policy instruments in place for Nagoya Protocol implementation by 2030, explicitly including Digital Sequence Information. The action plan (USD 4.4 million, the entirety of Goal C) includes developing national ABS policy, Traditional Knowledge Policy, IPR legislation review, model ABS agreements, and training communities on prior informed consent. An ABS project and the Traditional Healers Association are already operational foundations.

Target 14: Mainstreaming — Addressed

Two national commitments address mainstreaming. National commitment 16 (USD 6.9 million) commits to integrating biodiversity values into all strategic development plans at national, sectoral, departmental, and local levels by 2030, including developing Integrated Land Use Plans and updating the Decentralisation Policy. National commitment 10 commits to developing an effective participatory NBSAP adopted as a policy instrument across all sectors. Natural Capital Accounting has already been integrated into policy and decision-making under NBSAP II.

Target 15: Business disclosure — Not identified

Content addressing GBF Target 15 was not identified in this NBSAP. The NBSAP includes EIA requirements for development activities but does not address business-level biodiversity risk monitoring, assessment, or disclosure.

Target 16: Sustainable consumption — Mentioned

National commitment 1 uses sustainable production and consumption language, but the associated action plan focuses on EIA reform (USD 176,480) rather than consumption patterns, food waste, or resource footprint reduction. The Plastic Levy Regulation 2022 and waste management initiatives under national commitment 6 are tangentially relevant.

Target 17: Biosafety — Addressed

National commitment 9 commits to having protection measures in place for the sound management of LMOs by 2030. The action plan (USD 2.0 million) includes reviewing the National Biosafety Policy, enacting biosafety legislation (Bill approved by Cabinet, awaiting parliament), and establishing a detection and monitoring system with a national LMOs database. LMO laboratories are already established at the National University of Lesotho and Agricultural Research.

Target 18: Harmful subsidies — Addressed

National commitment 13 commits to eliminating, reforming, or phasing out harmful incentives and subsidies by 2030. The action plan (USD 460,000, the smallest budgeted commitment) tasks the Bureau of Statistics with developing a national database of positive and negative incentives. The Plastic Levy is cited as an existing positive intervention. Indicators include the value of harmful subsidies redirected, repurposed, or eliminated.

Target 19: Finance mobilisation — Addressed

National commitment 18 commits to mobilising USD 4 million from domestic sources and USD 25 million from international sources by 2030. Goal D identifies the biodiversity finance gap at USD 27 million per year. BIOFIN is operational. The total NBSAP implementation budget is USD 162.8 million, with funding expected from both Government of Lesotho and donor sources, though disaggregation between the two is not provided.

Target 20: Capacity and technology — Addressed

National commitment 15 commits to improving, sharing, transferring, and applying science-based knowledge and biodiversity technologies by 2030. Capacity building is distributed across most national commitment action plans: PA staff training, agricultural stakeholder capacitation, IAS control training, biosafety detection, and Nagoya Protocol implementation. Collaborations between scientific and Indigenous Knowledge Systems holders are established, and research on medicinal plants has been undertaken by academic institutions.

Target 21: Data and information — Addressed

The Monitoring Action Plan establishes a monitoring framework with headline, component, and complementary indicators, informed by a Monitoring Systems Gap Analysis. Multiple databases are planned across national commitments (IAS, LMOs, pollution hotspots, wildlife crimes, incentives), and the Waste Management Information System is already operational. Protected areas will receive biodiversity planning and monitoring systems with environmental surveillance equipment.

Target 22: Inclusive participation — Addressed

Youth and Women-led Groups, Human Rights Groups, CBOs, CSOs, and Community Conservation Forums are named as supporting institutions across virtually all action plans. National commitment 19 strengthens participation and inclusion of marginalised gender groups (youth, women, people living with disabilities), and the ABS commitment includes training marginalised groups and obtaining prior informed consent. A Stakeholder Engagement Plan has been prepared as a standalone annex.

Target 23: Gender equality — Addressed

National commitment 19 commits to ensuring gender equality in NBSAP implementation through a gender-responsive approach. A standalone Gender Action Plan is aligned with the KM-GBF Gender Action Plan 2022–2030 and the National Gender and Development Policy 2018–2030. The Ministry of Gender, Youth and Social Development is represented on the NBSAP Steering Committee and listed as a supporting institution across multiple action plans.