Berea, April 29 - Khalahali community under Ntsáng Catchment has joined forces on a voluntary basis to carry out land rehabilitation activities in response to severe land degradation affecting their area.

Thota-Peli Electoral Division (ED) Community Councillor, Mr. Mabuthi Mokhathi, confirmed the development in an interview with the Lesotho News Agency (LENA) on Monday.

Mr. Mokhathi explained that the initiative, which dates back to 2024, was prompted by a life-threatening situation caused by a rapidly expanding donga that threatened nearby households and compromised both safety and the environment. He said this compelled the community to unite in efforts to prevent further soil erosion.

He noted that the rehabilitation initiative, pioneered by the Regeneration of Landscapes and Livelihoods (ROLL) Project, sees community members dedicating two hours, twice a week, to construct gully control structures aimed at curbing soil erosion.

Additionally, Mr. Mokhathi highlighted that residents of Thota-Peli and Maneheng villages have undertaken efforts to uproot invasive grasses on rangelands and have also implemented a fruit tree planting project.

He said the initiative is already yielding positive results, not only restoring degraded landscapes but also improving rural livelihoods through sustainable natural resource management.

“Two years ago, we reaped the benefits of our project by harvesting the first apples,” he said.

However, Mr. Mokhathi indicated that despite these achievements, challenges such as rangeland vandalism and deliberate destruction of community project sites continue to hinder progress.

“Some years back, we woke up in dismay after thieves destroyed and uprooted over 1,500 fruit trees, while others were damaged by livestock,” he said.

He urged community members to safeguard such initiatives, especially as the country continues to grapple with land degradation.

Meanwhile, one of the community members, Mr. Thabang Sepakhela, said residents have fully committed themselves to restoring lost natural vegetation.

Mr. Sepakhela noted that since the commencement of the rehabilitation activities, there has been visible environmental improvement, with some grass species that were on the verge of extinction beginning to recover.

He added that community members are determined to ensure the sustainability of the project by protecting it, noting increased awareness and responsibility towards environmental conservation.

Ntsáng Catchment has been supported by the Regeneration of Landscapes and Livelihoods (ROLL) Project, which has rolled out land rehabilitation activities in three villages: Khalahali, Thota-Peli and Maneheng.