The Nature Reserves 

As part of the Natural Environment and Heritage Program of the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority (LHDA) a series of four protected areas has been developed under contract # 604. The objectives of these protected areas is to partially mitigate for the disruption to certain rural communities by the greater Lesotho Highlands Water Project developments, and loss and damage to certain natural resources.

These four areas;

• The Bokong Nature Reserve

• The Ts’ehlanyane National Park

• The Liphofung Cave Cultural Historical Site

• The ‘Muela Environmental Education Center, and Enviro-Park

are supplementary to the existing Sehlabathebe National Park (currently controlled by the National Parks section of the Department of Conservation and Forestry) and other protected areas controlled by other Government agencies.

The reasons for the establishment of these new protected areas are multiple, but primarily they will;

• increase the area of the country under conservation,

• increase the protection of Lesotho’s valuable bio-diversity,

• provide alternative means of income and entrepreneurial opportunities for the rural communities adjacent to the protected areas,

• increase the tourism potential of Lesotho,

• provide increased protection to certain aspects of the diverse cultural heritage of the Basotho people.

Each of the areas has a principle feature, of either natural or cultural significance which will be conserved within its bounds.