While the world celebrates the International Day of Forests on 21 March of each year, bush fires, agricultural activities, anarchical constructions, illegal fishing, etc. caused by human activities constitute a threat to Burundi forests. Burundi Environment Ministry says a sensitization campaign is the main strategy to preserve forests and protected areas.
Rusizi National Park threatened by illegal fishing
At 10 Km from the capital Bujumbura, there is the “Rusizi” National Park where hippopotamuses, antelopes, birds, snakes… live. Residents around the National Park in Bujumbura Province say they sometimes use firewood from the park. “There are no other places where we can get firewood’, says Léocadie Minani, a sexagenarian. She says the park guards often punish them once they are caught. Another resident says they fish in the Rusizi River even if it is prohibited. “We live thanks to the river but we do it when the guards are not around”, he says.
Bukuru Désiré, Chief of the Delta sector in the Rusizi National Park, one of the most important Burundi forests, says the park is threatened by bush fires and illegal fishing. “Unidentified men burnt the park five times in 2016 what caused the disappearance of several animal species”, he says.
Bukuru says the park is preserved through collective protection. “The preservation of the protected areas concerns everybody”, he says.
Vianney Nduwayezu, Director of Forests in the Ministry of Environment, Water and Urban Territory, says urban areas are developed and extended without taking take into account the environment requirements. “Different sensitization campaigns are organized to raise the awareness of the population on the importance of protecting forests”, he says.
Nduwayezu also says some sanctions are taken against recalcitrant people. “If there is someone caught with cows grazing in the bush, they are fined with BIF 100,000 per cow”, he says.
He says people must understand the importance of a sustainable management of forest ecosystems.
About 172,000 hectares (6.7%) of the country constitute forests among which 23.3% (40,000 ha.) are classified as primary forests.
According to Food and Agriculture Organization, Burundi had 69,000 ha of planted forests between 1990 and 2010 and loses an average of 5,850 ha or 2.02% per year. In total, between 1990 and 2010, the country lost 40.5% of its forests or around 117,000 ha.
According to the UNDP survey conducted in 2015, 1864.9 km2 of Burundi forests will be destroyed in 24 years with the deforestation of 64.59 km2 if they are not protected
IWACU Open Data
