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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 km(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)
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SDG 6 snapshot in Lesotho

  • Drinking water

    28 % of the population in Lesotho uses a safely managed drinking water service (SDG indicator 6.1.1, 2022)
  • Sanitation

    48 % of the population in Lesotho uses a safely managed sanitation service (SDG indicator 6.2.1a, 2022)
  • Hygiene

    6 % of the population in Lesotho has a handwashing facility with soap and water available at home (SDG indicator 6.2.1b, 2022)
  • Wastewater

    --- % of domestic wastewater in Lesotho is safely treated (SDG indicator 6.3.1, 2022)
  • Water quality

    65 % of monitored water bodies in Lesotho has good ambient water quality (SDG indicator 6.3.2, 2023)
  • Efficiency

    42 $/m<sup>3</sup> is the value added from the use of water by people and the economy in Lesotho (SDG indicator 6.4.1, 2021)
  • Water stress

    3 % of the renewable water resources in Lesotho is being withdrawn, after taking into account environmental flow requirements (SDG indicator 6.4.2, 2021)
  • Water management

    53 % is the degree of implementation of integrated water resources management in Lesotho (SDG indicator 6.5.1, 2023) 
  • Transboundary

    50 % of transboundary basin area has an operational arrangement for water cooperation (SDG indicator 6.5.2, 2020)
  • Ecosystems

    20 % of the water basins in Lesotho is experiencing rapid changes in the area covered by surface waters (SDG 6 indicator 6.6.1, 2020)
  • Cooperation

    14 m$ is the amount of water- and sanitation-related official development assistance received by Lesotho in 2022 (SDG indicator 6.a.1)
  • Participation

    + is the number of sub-sectors (out of 6) with a high level of participation by communities in Lesotho (SDG indicator 6.b.1, 2021)

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 (2020-2023), 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 2022, 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.

Annual expenditure for drinking water, sanitation and hygiene in Lesotho, by funding source

Community participation

6.b.1 Procedures in law or policy for participation by users/communities and level of participation in Lesotho (2021)

6.b.1 Level of participation by users/communities in Lesotho, progress over time, by sub-sector