REFORESTATION IN BURUNDI, A SURVIVAL CHOICE

Each year, Burundi joins the rest of the world in celebrating International Tree Day, an important occasion for Burundi dedicated to environmental protection and the promotion of reforestation. This day also symbolizes the country’s commitment to combating land degradation, climate change, and biodiversity loss.

The Anglican Service for Community Development (SADC) has made environmental protection one of its priorities, given that Burundi continues to face challenges related to heavy pressure on its natural resources due to rapid population growth, extensive agriculture, and the use of wood as the main source of energy for the majority of Burundian population.

For SADC, reforestation therefore appears as an essential community-based solution to restore ecosystems, prevent soil erosion, and improve the fertility of agricultural land.

Through Tree Day, SADC provides thousands of tree seedlings to be planted in public and private areas. Administrative authorities, schools, local organizations, and citizens are mobilized to plant seedlings prepared in nurseries established by community members trough climate resilience program of SADC.

This year, SADC has supported the country by providing more than 300,000 tree seedlings, consisting of forest and agroforestry species, to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, soil degradation, and to protect agricultural land.

As part of its strategy to ensure the sustainability of community interventions, SADC increasingly relies on  youth engagement in environmental protection and management of natural resources. By engaging young people, SADC seeks to harness the active force representing the majority of Burundian population, while also fostering long-term change by influencing future community decision-makers capable to initiate environmentally friendly reforms and protecting ecosystems.

By planting and maintaining trees, young people become agents of change and guardians of the environment. By focusing on this group of people, the initiative leverages young people’s strengths, such as their capacity for innovation, openness to new ideas, and use of technology for the benefit of the environment. In Burundi, reforestation contributes not only to environmental protection but also to economic development. The majority of the population uses wood as the main raw material for household furniture, construction, and as a source of energy.

In Gitaramuka, Rutana Commune, where SADC officially launched its reforestation campaign, the community was reminded that environmental protection is not an option but a matter of survival, as the future depends on it. The predominantly agricultural Burundian population has, in recent decades, suffered harmful consequences of climate change, including significant irregularities in crop yields, flooding in residential areas, destruction of infrastructure, and more.

The context of vulnerability to climate-change requires concrete and innovative actions supported by collective commitment in order to build stronger climate resilience. In this regard, SADC has spearheaded an initiative bringing together civil society organizations working in environmental protection to conduct advocacy actions aimed at strengthening Burundi’s capacity to cope with climate change.

Although the country is not among the world’s biggest polluters, it suffers just as much from the consequences of pollution, and unfortunately, due to its socioeconomic fragility, the damage affects an already vulnerable population even more severely. More over, Burundi does not yet benefit from projects funded by the Green Climate Fund, which should help strengthen the country’s capacity to address climate change and intensify initiatives aimed at building resilience across society.