LAKE VICTORIA BASIN

Burundi’sWetlands

The many wetlands and marshlands found in low-lying areas throughout Burundi are an important freshwater resource. A distinction can be made between the more permanent swamps or wetlands, and the seasonal, grassy areas or marshes (marais). These wetlands cover over 118,000 ha, or about 5 per cent of the country’s territory. The wetlands and marshes serve several important ecological functions, including flood mitigation, erosion control, aquifer recharge, water quality enhancement through filtering, and habitat for various flora and fauna. Historically, the seasonal marshes have been used as pasture for livestock, which helped to increase the marshes’ fertility. As livestock numbers have decreased, and as the demand for cultivable land has grown, marshes and wetlands are increasingly being drained or used seasonally for agricultural production, particularly rice. Their high levels of organic matter and their ability to retain moisture during the dry season make them suitable for cultivation. Peat and clay extraction also threaten the integrity and ecological viability of the marais (Lake Victoria Basin Commission 2007). The effective management of wetlands and marshes has been difficult in Burundi due to confusion over management authority and tenure rights. The 1986 Code Foncier established the wetlands under the management of the State and, therefore, eligible for exploitation through concessions. Some of the wetlands have also been conceded to the authority of the communes, as is the case in Kirundo, where private citizens are allowed cultivation rights. The Rural Development Department (Génie Rural) also supervises the technical management of wetlands, while the National Office for Peat Extraction (ONATOUR)

Goliath heron by the Ruzizi river, Bujumbura

has the authority to manage and extract from peat bogs. Additionally, since the early 1980s, the Ministry of Agriculture has reportedly targeted these resources for production, despite not having direct authority over the wetlands (Lake Victoria Basin Commission 2007). An effort has beenmade to better regulate wetland use and conserve the remaining unexploitedmarshes through the drafting of a September 2000Wetland Management Plan (Schema Directeur d’Aménagement et de Mise en Valeur des Marais). The Schema Directeur calls for a number of actions, including the creation of a sub- commission for the conservation of wetlands, mandatory Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) prior to wetland exploitation, the increased use of organic fertilizers (green manure), community participation in wetland management, transboundary management agreements for cross-border wetlands, guidelines for peat extraction and the conservation of 2.8 per cent of wetlands (Lake Victoria Basin Commission 2007).

Gully running through agricultural landscape in Burundi

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