Mokhotlong is one of the mountain districts whose economic mainstay is wool and mohair production. The district also hosts the sources of major rivers, notably Senqu River, the heart of one of the major river basins in southern Africa. Currently, plans are underway to get into the second phase of the Lesotho Highlands Development Project which entails construction of the Polihali Dam in Mokhotlong. The proposed project site, Sehonghong river basin, is one of the major tributaries of Senqu River that also feeds into the proposed Polihali Dam. Like the rest of the district, severe land degradation including wetlands degradation is a serious problem in the Sehonghong river basin. It is in this context that Bolokanang, supported by Thabang Community Council and the Office of the Principal Chief, is undertaking to tackle the challenges head-on. However, the organization being a support group does not have technical capacity to package the identified environmental problems into a full project proposal meeting the requirements of the GEF SGP. It is in this context that the organization was awarded a planning grant.
The proposed project, targeting sustainable management of rangelands, is aimed at safeguarding the quality and quantity of water entering the proposed Polihali Dam, phase II of the Lesotho Highlands Development Project. Through the planning grant awarded, the project will work towards:

i. Carrying out a baseline study on the status and threats to rangeland water resources of the Sehonghong River. The study will further identify key stakeholders in the use and management of the said resources in the watershed
ii. Creating awareness about sustainable management of rangeland and sustainable management of rangeland and wetlands resources
iii. Training and capacity development for members of the Society, local authorities and herders
iv. Developing an integrated catchment management plan for the project site
v. Working together with the organization, packaging all findings and information into a fulkl proposal compliant to the GEF SGP requirements