A/HRC/42/47/Add.1 Annex Report of the Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation on his visit to Lesotho I. Introduction 1. Pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 33/10, the Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation undertook an official visit to Lesotho from 4 to 15 February 2019, at the invitation of the Government. 2. During his two-week visit, the Special Rapporteur met representatives of a number of tiers of the Government, 1 international organizations, 2 international development funders 3 and civil society, as well as a number of residents. He visited villages, towns, schools, health clinics, a church and correctional services in 6 of the 10 districts of Lesotho (Mafeteng, Maseru, Mohale’s Hoek, Mokhotlong, Thaba-Tseka and Quthing). The Special Rapporteur thanks the Government for the invitation and the organization of his visit. He would especially like to thank those who welcomed him into their homes and took the time to discuss the situation of water and sanitation with him. He also expresses appreciation to the office of the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Lesotho for facilitating the visit. II. Water and sanitation in Lesotho A. General context 3. Lesotho is a mountainous country, with the highest mountain at approximately 3,400 metres above sea level and no land that falls below 1,400 metres above sea level. It has a surface area of approximately 30,000 km2. Three quarters of the land is highlands with severe winter seasons and heavy snowfalls that often make it difficult for the population to access basic services such as water and sanitation. 4. The living standards of the people of Lesotho, the Basotho, depend on whether they live in the lowlands, the foothills, the highlands or the Senqu river valley. Approximately 76 per cent of the population of more than 2 million reside in the rural areas while the rest are located in urban areas, mostly in the lowlands. As of 2014, the wealthiest households were concentrated in the urban areas and in the lowlands, while those in the lowest wealth quintile were living mostly in the mountains, the Senqu valley and the foothills. 4 The Special Rapporteur travelled to the western highlands driving on unpaved roads through the districts of Thaba-Tseka and Moktholong, the two most impoverished districts in Lesotho. From interviews and visits to households, he could see the difference in the standard of living when compared to other districts, in particular how the population accessed water and sanitation. 1 2 3 4 2 Ministry of Water, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Relations, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education and Training, Ministry of Justice, Human Rights and Correctional Services, Ministry of Law and Constitutional Affairs, Ministry of Gender and Youth, Sports and Recreation, Ministry of Social Development, Ministry of Mining and Ministry of Energy. The Special Rapporteur also met with the District Administrators of Mokhotlong and Mohale’s Hoek. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Health Organization (WHO). The European Union, the South African High Commission and the German development agency GIZ. See Lesotho Ministry of Health and ICF International, Lesotho Demographic and Health Survey 2014 (2016).