La Niña in observation phase during rainy season

The Ministry of Environment, Water and Urban territory has announced that the rainfall will be low for this agricultural season (from October to December).

The Environment Ministry announces that the rainfall will be low during this agricultural season

The meteorological forecast from September to December during this agricultural season shows that the rainfall will decrease gradually. “The situation will be normal but the rain is likely to be light,” says Aaron Ntibiranyibagira, forecaster at Burundi Geographical Institute [IGEBU]. He also says the situation is caused by the “La Niña” phenomenon which is in observation phase since 18 September. “The effective rain will fall at the beginning of October 2017”, he says.

Ntibiranyibagira says the prediction from October to December shows that a development of the phenomenon opposite to El-Niño (La Niña) is characterized by a deficient rain that falls differently according to the time and place.

In the north-eastern region of Burundi, the precipitation will be relatively above the average of 20 mm and will be normal In Mugamba region (central and southern areas) while it will be below average in Imbo western region.

According to IGEBU forecast, farmers should start cultivating their fields given that the precipitation has reached 20 mm within three successive days.

The IGEBU forecaster says Burundi has experienced a windy rainfall from the Congo Basin which influenced the local region, thus causing the rain to fall from September.

Célestin Ndayizeye, Minister of Environment, Water and Urban Territory says Burundi Government is aware of the adverse effects of these extreme climatic phenomena (El-Niño and La Niña). He says the latter caused humanitarian catastrophes in the past in such a way that the government declared famine in the Northern provinces following the “La Nina” phenomenon between 2000 and 2004. For all these reasons, he says, the Government of Burundi has already put in place the National Contingency Plan and the Platform for Risk Prevention and Disaster Management to prepare communities in time to mitigate the effects of these disasters. Long lasting droughts have a negative impact on fields and harvests”, he says.