Bio-diversity

The Ha Baroana Rock Art Centre site is in the midst of very dense grassland, as a result the site is prone to wild fires. The result of the fires is loss of the rich natural heritage that is found in abundance on site. Uncontrolled harvesting of the indigenous plants for medicinal use also comes across as detrimental as the harvesting is undertaken in a manner less sustainable. The centre already has a small botanical garden which provides a limited research base as the number of plant species catered for on the garden is small. There is further no propagation space which could be used to multiply the plants for trade purposes as a means for the sustainability of the garden. The limited space further hinders easy access to plants while people are on tour; the signage is also not enough to provide smooth interaction between visitors and the garden. The centre as a heritage site endowed with a host of plant species does not have an inventory of the flora and fauna found on site, this therefore limits knowledge of the population of species found at the centre. As a tourist destination there is further a challenge in providing ecotourism activities on site for the host of visitors that comes to Ha Baroana rock art centre. Construction of more fire belts will be very helpful in the conservation of the site, especially areas that are habitats for the indigenous plant species. Training in sustainable harvesting practices for the traditional practitioners is also needed. The training will assist in providing methods of harvesting, tools that can be used, and seasons that are adequate for harvesting. For the centre to have a good inventory of the flora and fauna found on site there is need to engage a consultant, who shall conduct research to list all species. The size of the botanical garden also needs to increase so that the following will be achieved: Declaration of the whole project area as a botanical garden Increasing plant species Propagation of plants Training on plant rescue and good harvesting practices Introduction of visible signage In order to increase ecotourism activities on site, there is need to augment trout stocks in the ponds so that fishing can be incorporated in the activity plan. The major attraction to the site is the san rock art paintings that present the rich legacy of the san. Trespassing by animals in the gorge where the paintings are found is threatening the quality of the paintings. The threat to the paintings is not only posed by animals but also by tourists who physically touch paintings. The floor surface of the cave is also sandy so the dust that comes up as a result of the trampling by tourists further reduces the quality of the rock art. The animals causing destruction to rock paintings can be stopped by fencing the area where the rock paintings are found, in order to limit or halt access to the rock art. There is also need to curb the issue of dust caused as the tourists visiting the area of rock art. Because of the loose soil the floor of the cave is sandy so there is need for paving the area so that there is no dust. The Ha Baroana Rock Art Centre is situated at a place far from the national electricity grid, so there is need for energy on site so that the film equipment meant for tourists can be utilized. The centre is in need for cost-effective renewable energy; hence the need for solar energy, as solar energy is environmentally friendly.

Lesotho