ABSTRACT
The Maloti–Drakensberg mountains form a 300-km border between the landlocked mountain kingdom of Lesotho and South Africa. Sehlabathebe National Park is the only formally protected area. In South Africa, there is a high degree of protection and conservation of biodiversity through the establishment of national parks. The biodiversity and cultural and other features of this region are increasingly under threat from development, unsustainable rangeland management, and invasion by alien species. The challenge to conservation efforts is to conserve this unique mountain region while ensuring that the development needs of the local populations are met. One of the most important high-yielding water catchments in South Africa is the Amangwane mountain region of Mnweni. The most successful of these has been the development of Range Management Areas and Grazing Associations. Community involvement in grazing management of the Maloti–Drakensberg region is essential if maintenance of biodiversity and livestock grazing are to be compatible.
