While more than 80 percent of Lesotho’s population lives in rural areas and most of the country relies on subsistence agriculture, many households still lack access to agricultural land and the country is highly vulnerable to the impacts of the climate crisis.

According to the World Food Fund, 50 percent of the population lives below the poverty line, 33 percent of children under 5 years of age are stunted, and 520,000 people are severely hungry.

More than three-quarters of its population depends on livestock and subsistence agriculture, while the country produces less than 20 percent of its own food.

It is also heavily dependent on South Africa for most of its economic activity.

The World Food Fund agreed that Lesotho is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate crisis, with El Niño-induced droughts devastating crops and causing significant livestock losses.

The climate is expected to become warmer and drier, making droughts and floods more frequent and intense.

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