As our analysis shows, the territorial development approach breaks away from a one-size-fits-all thinking to a customized framework that leverages the economic endowments and strengths of leading and lagging areas and responds to their differing needs. In doing so, we show the why and how behind recommended investments in the country’s economic centers, while trying to reduce inequality and raise the standard of living across the entire territory.
What does applying the territorial development approach mean for Lesotho? It means we are bringing an effective set of recommendations with feedback from the government to tackle the specifics of the lowlands and highlands, distinguishing between urban and rural areas, to increase access to services, economic opportunities, and climate resilience. These spatially-differentiated recommendations are backed by national-level actions on key fronts like local governance, climate resilience, and business environment.
For example, on improving access to services, we show the need for both access and quality services in lowland towns with the highest population density. In highland towns, our focus is on a minimum level of livability, whereas in rural lowlands it is on boosting agricultural productivity through better water and electricity access. Given the low population density in rural highlands and the country’s limited resources, we recommend exploring non-network solutions like mobile healthcare vans/services while simultaneously improving links to urban highlands.
We also capture interactions across development areas in the recommendations. For example, connective infrastructure investments will support economic opportunities by deepening value chains across lowlands and highlands and also alleviate the risk of the areas being cut off due to climate events like urban floods and deep snow emergencies. By adopting a territorial approach, we expect that Lesotho can address the specific needs and characteristics of different regions, promote inclusive and sustainable development, and create a more resilient future.
“This is a bittersweet moment for me. My tenure as the World Bank Resident Representative in Lesotho is ending, but I feel happy and proud that we have developed this innovative territorial approach that will support economic and development planning in the country,” shared Yoichiro Ishihara. “Under the leadership of the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning and in collaboration with other entities at the national and local levels of government, the report’s findings and recommendations are expected to bring more customized solutions to the Basotho people.”
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