The Ministry of Environment and Forestry organized and held a World Soils Day in Maseru Lesotho on the 5th February, 2026. This important celebration is held annually on the 5th of December. However, Lesotho could not hold it on this date due to competing activities that took place on the same day. The theme focused on protecting urban soils from sealing, reducing flood risks, mitigating heat, supporting urban agriculture and promoting sustainable planning of more resilient and healthier cities.
Soil is an important element in cities as it supports buildings, roads and other infrastructure. At the same time, soils are also important as they sustain green cities. The 2025 World Soils Day highlighted the importance of understanding the connections between sustenance of green cities and use of the soil for other activities, where the “one health approach” reminds soil users that healthy soils support the health of people, animals, plans and the environment.
Soils remain the foundation of life where it sustains 95% of food and nearly all life on land, yet they are among the non-renewable resources most affected by land degradation as a result of poor land management. This underscores the critical importance of protecting our soils, and integrating their management into national policies, development strategies, urban planning, and climate resilience strategies.
The celebrations started with a march around Maseru city as an awareness of the importance of this day. The march was led by the Lesotho Defense Force (LDF) Band.
Figure 1: Marching for soils dayle.
One of the major activities of the day was to teach or show the participants what a soil profile is and describe how it relates to the theme of the day. Mr. Polao Moepi who is the Principal Soils Scientist from the Ministry of Environment explained that a soil profile is made up of different layers which are called “horizons”. These horizons are important in determining the fertility of the soil for agriculture as well as assessing its suitability for construction projects. Furthermore, formation of these horizons is based on five critical factors which are climate, organisms, topography, parent material and time.
Figure 2: Mr. Polao Moepi and Mr. Selebalo Ramakhanna demonstrating and explaining the soil profile.
The Director of the Department of Forestry; Mr. Nkuebe indicated that the World Soils Day celebration is observed globally under the guidance of the the Global Soil Partnership (GSP) which is the initiative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), under the 2025 theme “Healthy Soils for Healthy Cities.”
According to Mr. Nkuebe, it is through platforms such as the FAO Global Soil Partnership (GSP) and the African Soil Partnership (AfSP) that Lesotho (as the member in both) received technical and financial support to implement a TCP project, aimed at developing the Lesotho Soil Information System (LESIS). This system guides the implementation of land management programs and projects, as well as supporting research on soils, climate, agriculture, and food security. LESIS represents a key national tool for evidence-based decision-making and advancing Lesotho’s commitments under Land Degradation Neutrality Target Setting Program (LDN-TSP), and National Strategic Development Plan II (NSDP II Extended). The director concluded by stating and reminding the audience that sustainable urban development cannot occur in the absence of knowledge on soil, integration of land suitability as well as capability into planning decisions.He cautioned that planning that ignores soil characteristics, limitations, and risks is inconsistent with good governance, sustainable development, and Lesotho’s National and International obligations.
As is the norm during the World Soils Day Celebrations, many activities are usually undertaken and Lesotho’s celebration was not any different. These activities included awareness campaigns, speeches and displays from different Departments and stakeholders all showcasing how healthy soils are essential to urban resilience, disaster risk reduction, food and water security, climate adaptation, and sustainable economic development.
The Director of the Department of Forestry; Mr. Nkuebe indicated that the World Soils Day celebration is observed globally under the guidance of the the Global Soil Partnership (GSP) which is the initiative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), under the 2025 theme “Healthy Soils for Healthy Cities.”
According to Mr. Nkuebe, it is through platforms such as the FAO Global Soil Partnership (GSP) and the African Soil Partnership (AfSP) that Lesotho (as the member in both) received technical and financial support to implement a TCP project, aimed at developing the Lesotho Soil Information System (LESIS). This system guides the implementation of land management programs and projects, as well as supporting research on soils, climate, agriculture, and food security. LESIS represents a key national tool for evidence-based decision-making and advancing Lesotho’s commitments under Land Degradation Neutrality Target Setting Program (LDN-TSP), and National Strategic Development Plan II (NSDP II Extended). The director concluded by stating and reminding the audience that sustainable urban development cannot occur in the absence of knowledge on soil, integration of land suitability as well as capability into planning decisions.He cautioned that planning that ignores soil characteristics, limitations, and risks is inconsistent with good governance, sustainable development, and Lesotho’s National and International obligations.
As is the norm during the World Soils Day Celebrations, many activities are usually undertaken and Lesotho’s celebration was not any different. These activities included awareness campaigns, speeches and displays from different Departments and stakeholders all showcasing how healthy soils are essential to urban resilience, disaster risk reduction, food and water security, climate adaptation, and sustainable economic development.
The Honorable Minister of Environment, Forestry and Range Resources; Mr. Letsema Adontši gave the main speech of the day
Figure 3: The Honorable Minister of Environment, Forestry and Range Resources; Mr. Letsema Adontši
The Minister applauded his Ministry and its stakeholders on the excellent work they did to ensure that the day was successful. He indicated that his Ministry fully aligns itself with the global call to recognize soil as a living thing and a strategic resource that must be protected, measured and managed for present and future generations. In Lesotho according to the Minister, soil is the base of the country’s food security, the regulator of the water system, a frontline defence against climate change as well as being the pillar of Lesotho’s Economy.
The speech also reiterated that the Government of Lesotho is committed to evidence-based land and soil management, recognizing that key decisions must be built on knowledge. It further indicated that good land use planning begins with knowing the soil, its capabilities and limitations as this knowledge will guide where to farm and build.
As with the Director of Forestry, the Minister made mention of LESIS which functions as a national connector of institutions, bringing together Government Departments, Research Institutions, Academia, Development Partners around a shared vision. These stakeholders are strengthening the integration of soil data, land capability assessments and environmental safeguards into the National and local planning frameworks.
In conclusion, the Minister made a plea to all stakeholders such as farmers, researchers, NGO’s, Planners, the Private sector and Government Ministries that as Lesotho celebrates the World Soils Day, they should join the national effort of protecting Lesotho’s precious soils because soil protection is not the responsibility of one sector alone but it is a shared national undertaking.
“To care for our soils is to care for our people, our climate and our future.”
Mr. Letsema Adontši
The Minister applauded his Ministry and its stakeholders on the excellent work they did to ensure that the day was successful. He indicated that his Ministry fully aligns itself with the global call to recognize soil as a living thing and a strategic resource that must be protected, measured and managed for present and future generations. In Lesotho according to the Minister, soil is the base of the country’s food security, the regulator of the water system, a frontline defence against climate change as well as being the pillar of Lesotho’s Economy.
The speech also reiterated that the Government of Lesotho is committed to evidence-based land and soil management, recognizing that key decisions must be built on knowledge. It further indicated that good land use planning begins with knowing the soil, its capabilities and limitations as this knowledge will guide where to farm and build.
As with the Director of Forestry, the Minister made mention of LESIS which functions as a national connector of institutions, bringing together Government Departments, Research Institutions, Academia, Development Partners around a shared vision. These stakeholders are strengthening the integration of soil data, land capability assessments and environmental safeguards into the National and local planning frameworks.
In conclusion, the Minister made a plea to all stakeholders such as farmers, researchers, NGO’s, Planners, the Private sector and Government Ministries that as Lesotho celebrates the World Soils Day, they should join the national effort of protecting Lesotho’s precious soils because soil protection is not the responsibility of one sector alone but it is a shared national undertaking.
“To care for our soils is to care for our people, our climate and our future.”
Mr. Letsema Adontši
