Lesotho
Location
- Geographical region: Sub-Saharan Africa, Africa
- SDG region: SDG Sub-Saharan Africa
- Least Developed Countries, Land Locked Developing Countries
Land
- Total area: --- km2
- Land area: 30,360 km2 (2020)
- Land use by sector: 80% agriculture, 1% forest and 19% other (2018 - 2020)
People
- Total population: 2,305,825 people (2022)
- Population density: 71 people per km2 (2020)
- Urbanisation: 27% lives in urban areas and 66% lives in rural areas (2020)
Economy
- Total GDP: 4,963,571,547 USD per year (2020)
- GDP per capita: 2,153 USD per year (2020)
- Value added by sector: 5% from agriculture, 52% from services and 25% from industry (2020 - 2022)
SDG 6 snapshot in Lesotho
Drinking water
6.1.1 Proportion of population using safely managed drinking water services in Lesotho, progress over time
6.1.1 Proportion of population using safely managed drinking water services in Lesotho, by service level and location (2022)
Sanitation and hygiene
6.2.1a Proportion of population using safely managed sanitation services in Lesotho, progress over time
6.2.1a Proportion of population using safely managed sanitation services in Lesotho, by service level and location (2022)
6.2.1b Proportion of population with a handwashing facility with soap and water available at home in Lesotho, by service level and location (2022)
Water quality and wastewater
6.3.1 Proportion of wastewater flow (safely) treated > Domestic in Lesotho (2022), compared to other countries (and areas) in the region
6.3.1 Proportion of wastewater flow (safely) treated in Lesotho, by source (2015 - 2022)
6.3.2 Level 1 Proportion of bodies of water with good ambient water quality in Lesotho (2017-2020), compared to other countries (and areas) in the region
Water use and scarcity
Water resources and withdrawal in Lesotho, total and per capita
Long-term average annual precipitation in depth: 788 (mm/year) (2020)
Renewable water resources: 1,353 m3 per capita (2017)
Water withdrawal: 23 m3 per capita (2000)
Environmental flow requirements: % of the renewable water resources ()
6.4.2 Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of available freshwater resources in Lesotho, change over time, compared to other countries (and areas) in the region
6.4.1 Change in water-use efficiency over time in Lesotho, by sector (2020)
Water-use efficiency for ‘Agriculture, forestry and fishing’ only takes into account the proportion of gross value added that comes from irrigated agriculture, since that activity is associated with water withdrawal (other activities are rain-fed).
6.4.1 Change in water-use efficiency over time in Lesotho, progress over time, compared to other countries (and areas) in the region
Water resources management
6.5.1 Degree of integrated water resources management implementation (0-100) in Lesotho, progress over time, by dimension
Very low (0-10) – Low (11-30) – Medium-low (31-50) – Medium-high (51-70) – High (71-90) – Very high (91-100)
6.5.2 Proportion of transboundary basin area with an operational arrangement for water cooperation in Lesotho, progress over time, by component
Very low (0-10) – Low (11-30) – Medium-low (31-50) – Medium-high (51-70) – High (71-90) – Very high (91-100)
International cooperation and capacity-building
6.a.1 Amount of water- and sanitation-related official development assistance received by Lesotho, over time
6.a.1 Amount of water- and sanitation-related official development assistance received by Lesotho in 2021, by sub-sector
Water and sanitation-related official development assistance includes water sector policy and governance, water supply, sanitation, water sector policy, water resources conservation, river basins development, waste management/disposal, education and training, agricultural water resources and hydroelectric power.