Publication: National Climate Risk and Vulnerability Assessment (CRVA) for Roads in Lesotho: Development of a Vulnerability Assessment Tool for Lesotho Roads and Vulnerability Assessments of Selected Catchment Areas
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2023-06-07
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2023-06-07
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The Kingdom of Lesotho is a landlocked country in southern Africa. Large pockets of the population reside along the Senqu River Valley in the south-eastern reaches of the country, and some of the roads traverse this river to connect to the mountainous areas. Increasing temperatures and changing rainfall patterns due to climate change negatively impacts Lesotho’s road network. Sustained land degradation, soil erosion, and increased demand on ecosystem services threatens infrastructure and the health of Lesotho’s natural ecosystems, including wetlands. The primary aim of this study was to undertake a review of existing frameworks for climate and environment vulnerability assessments for roads and to adapt these to the Lesotho context in line with Southern African Development Community (SADC) protocol on transport, the National Strategic Development Plan of Lesotho, and the South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL) Design Guidelines. The adapted climate and environmental risk framework then formed the basis for developing a climate change risk and vulnerability and assessment methodology/tool.
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“World Bank. 2023. National Climate Risk and Vulnerability Assessment (CRVA) for Roads in Lesotho: Development of a Vulnerability Assessment Tool for Lesotho Roads and Vulnerability Assessments of Selected Catchment Areas. © http://hdl.handle.net/10986/39861 License: CC BY-NC 3.0 IGO.”
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Publication Catchment Climate Risk and Vulnerability Assessment (CRVA) for Lesotho roads(Washington, DC, 2023-06-07)The Kingdom of Lesotho is a landlocked country in southern Africa. Large pockets of the population reside along the Senqu River Valley in the south-eastern reaches of the country, and some of the roads traverse this river to connect to the mountainous areas. Increasing temperatures and changing rainfall patterns due to climate change negatively impacts Lesotho’s road network. Sustained land degradation, soil erosion, and increased demand on ecosystem services threatens infrastructure and the health of Lesotho’s natural ecosystems, including wetlands. Climate change risk studies are often addressed through top-down approaches using climate projections and modelled impacts. However, a bottom-up approach is also required to focus on the recent past and present vulnerability. 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In this report concludes that it is possible for Lesotho to reduce poverty and to continue its transition to an economically diverse middle-income country by undertaking three key strategies: continuing to develop the investment climate for labor-intensive production; implementing programs to support commercial agriculture and reduce land degradation in rural areas; and developing a strategy to support socioeconomic and geographic mobility of workers into higher-productivity sectors. Public funds should be better targeted towards assisting the poor to build human capital and manage risks. Other recommendations to improve the plight of the people of Lesotho include creating a more equitable and inclusive society, especially for women, and developing a more effective campaign against HIV/AIDS.
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