Maloti-Drakensberg Transfrontier Project - the Project addresses the conservation problems of the Maloti-Drakensberg Mountains; a 300 kilometre-long alpine and montane zone along the southern, eastern and northern borders of the landlocked mountain Kingdom of Lesotho and the Republic of South Africa. These mountains have globally significant biodiversity, natural beauty and cultural heritage with unique habitats, high levels of endemism and great natural beauty. It is also home to the greatest gallery of rock art in the world with hundreds of sites and many thousands of images painted by the San or Bushmen people. The Preparation Phase of the Project was completed in February 2000 as detailed in the Aide Memoire of the Project Appraisal Mission. This documents the main activities and achievements of the mission, highlights some of the developments since the preparation mission in May 1999, and records a set of next steps for action. Most of these have already taken place and in 2001 approximately US$16 million will be made available over a five-year period to Lesotho and South Africa for the next or implementation phase of the Project. The Maloti-Drakensberg Transfrontier Project will make a major impact on the economies of the mountain region and through better range management, the establishment of community conservation areas and through nature based tourism a major step forward will have been taken in the protection of the biodiversity and cultural heritage of the Maloti-Drakensberg Mountains.