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Research on "Reducing Pollution in Lesotho" by Deepa Pullanikkatil Sajith
Rising populations, industrial waste and agricultural chemicals continue to contaminate water sources all over the continent.
In response to Agenda 21, Lesotho formulated a National Environmental Policy with the goal of achieving "Sustainable livelihoods and development for Lesotho". Although the environmental policy and measures to control pollution are now in place, industries continue to pollute the waterways of Lesotho.
Partly as a result of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), industrialization in Lesotho has increased with an influx of new industries, and an increase in the amount of effluents being discharged into waterways untreated.
This pollution continues to threaten the availability of potable (particularly to downstream rural communities) fishing and the ecosystem itself.
This has led to a need to probe the instruments and structures in place to control pollution and investigate why they have not been effective. This research seeks to first establish the state of water pollution as compared to internationally acceptable standards.
The study will seek to identify the problems faced in implementing the current environmental policy and identify possible solutions for more effective policy implementation.
Water usage patterns of communities residing close to polluted waterways will be studied, followed by training and sensitization seminars on improving water resource management and improving health and livelihoods through better sanitation will be provided to these communities.
Finally, the researchers intend to find ways in which environmental protection can be included in international and national incentives for industrialisation.
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