Lesotho is a landlocked country, which is surrounded by the Republic of South Africa. The total land area is 30355km2 and the country is predominantly mountainous with approximately 73% of land lying at an altitude of 2000m and above.
The natural vegetation of Lesotho is dominated by grassland, and by indigenous shrubs in some mountain areas. Although the present vegetation is regarded as a sun-climax resulting from human interference and modification, it is unlikely that large areas of Lesotho were covered by forests or woodlands in the recent past. However, some pockets of closed evergreen forest on inaccessible parts of the lowlands and foothills suggest that forest cover was previously more extensive than at present (NFAP; GOL, 1996).
According to LEMP 1991, the requirements for energy were and still are expected to increase by around 74% in 20 years (from 28700 Terajoules (TJ) in 1990 to 50125 TJ in 2010) and the most important sources of energy in this regard were found to be both fuel-wood and dung. LEMP also projected that if the present rates of fuel consumption remain constant, the potential rural biomass energy use will have risen to almost two million tons by 2010 which is .5 million tons above the estimates for sustainable supply. In order to close this energy gap LEMP recommends that about 500 000 tons would have to be produced. Which means that approximately 120 000hectares (1 200 km2 ) of additional planting would have been established by 2010.
This analysis assumes that cow dung would continue to be used as fuel. If however, dung is replaced by wood fuel, an additional 305 000tons of wood fuel would be required. This means that an additional 64 000 hectares (640km2 ) of forests must be established.
Much of the present woody biomass stocks in the country result from planted trees ranging from 10ha to 300ha in size and are between 300 to 350 in number. In the inventory that was carried out in 1993/94 there were still 10362ha of man made forest standing. In the 1996/97 inventory, however, this area had been reduced to 6173ha which means that within a period of four years 4189ha had been cut and neither been replanted nor managed properly to allow for healthy regeneration. Of this 4189 ha which had been cut and not replanted, 90% comprised Eucalyptus species which fortunately coppice. Which means therefore, that there is still 9943ha of poorly managed manmade forests. Please refer to appendix two for further details.
The most important wood product in Lesotho is fuel wood. Bureau of Statistics figures show a total cost of imported fuel-wood to be M134349, M22730 and M21799 for the years 1994, 1995 and 1996 respectively (Statistical year book, 1996).
The local sale of the locally produced fuel wood is done mainly by the Government at the Sales Yards.
