Every year, Burundi's natural resources suffer as a result of human activity. Between deforestation, flooding and the impacts of climate change, the population, already very vulnerable, is witnessing the degradation of resources on which it is heavily dependent.
Burundi is a magnificent country. Its lush green hills meet valleys where lakes, rice fields and streams intermingle. It is home to a primary forest, the Kibira, which covers some 40,000 hectares and is home to more than 600 plant species and numerous animals. A remarkable natural environment, but one that is being dangerously degraded by demographic pressure and the effects of climate change.
Prime Makenze, coordinator of AGBD - Association pour la Gestion Durable de la Biodiversité au Burundi (Association for the Sustainable Management of Biodiversity in Burundi), one of our partners, explains: ‘The country's main environmental challenge is its galloping demography (average annual population growth of 3.3%), which is having a negative impact on the conservation and effective management of natural resources and biodiversity. Burundi is one of the most densely populated countries in the world, with 504 inhabitants per square kilometre, 17% more than Belgium.
Prime Makenze is also concerned about changes in the soil, particularly erosion. "A very large proportion of the land is used for agriculture. A very large proportion of the land is used for agriculture, which is carried out by the local population, without any mastery of anti-erosion techniques or maintenance of trees. "