Since March 17, Burundi has been leading the Central African Forest Commission (COMIFAC), for a two-year term. It came out of the 11th ordinary session of the Council of Ministers held from March 14 to 17, in Bujumbura. For the environmentalist Innocent Banirwaninzigo, this is an opportunity for Burundi to restore its image in terms of environmental protection. Analysis.
“It is an honor for the country to be able to hold this position for an organization that includes eleven countries », Comments Innocent Banirwaninzigo, environmentalist.
Nevertheless, he stresses that it is up to the country to demonstrate that it is up to it and to take advantage of this position to be a model, to correct its past mistakes in the protection of forests: “This will go through concrete actions for the development of the forestry sector in Burundi, the member countries as well as the mobilization of funds for the safeguarding of forests”, he analyzes, indicating that the latter constitute an important sink of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other gases.
At the national level, this environmentalist stresses that the country should look at laws, codes, strategies and programs. “On this occasion, Burundi will have to work to be a model in terms of the promotion and protection of forests”he insists, noting that certain legal instruments in the field of the environment do not yet have implementing texts.
Mr. Banirwaninzigo gives the example of the 2016 forest code which lacks more than 40 application texts to be operational. Ditto for the water code which currently totals more than 10 years with an eloquent lack of application texts, he mentions. It specifies that its articles 34, 35 provide for the establishment of the national water fund. “But, until today, this fund has not yet been set up”deplores this environmentalist.
And in the global context of climate change, he indicates that Burundi does not yet have a specific law on climate change. “And it is the latter that should regulate how to adapt or mitigate and even mobilize funds to deal with the effects of climate change”, he explains, while recalling that these effects are a reality in Burundi: the case of floods, uneven distribution of rainfall, rising temperatures, etc.
Be a good ambassador
Mr. Banirwaninzigo, environmentalist, mentions that COMIFAC participates in climate consultations with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. “It’s a big challenge for a country that doesn’t have a specific law on climate change,” he criticizes, calling on decision-makers to do everything so that Burundi adopts this law in order to be a good ambassador for the eleven countries. Moreover, he points out that the integration of climate change aspects into activities for a country that does not have them remains a major challenge.
For him, Burundi should also do some introspection: “Go back to assess the implementation of existing laws in the field of the environment in order to take the necessary decisions”.
This environmentalist also deplores the fact that many of the texts, laws do not have their versions in national languages while it is very precise in article 5 of the Constitution. “This would allow Burundians to take ownership of their content and implement it”, he said, noting that article 35 of the same fundamental law speaks of the primordial role of the State in the participation, management and safeguarding of the environment.
This means, according to him, that it is the State which is primarily responsible for safeguarding and managing natural resources. An almost difficult mission when the texts, the laws lack application texts or are not accessible and understandable to the population.
Regarding the current situation of the forests, Innocent Banirwaninzigo finds that they are threatened. ” The remaining forest cover is estimated at 173,000 ares whereas in the 1980s, it was 60% of the national territory. In short, the area occupied by forests is shrinking day by day,” he laments, explaining this mainly by demographic pressure, climate change.
One of the world’s biodiversity hotspots
The tropical forests located in the COMIFAC space are among the most important in the world in terms of biodiversity hotspot. They contain more than half of the African fauna and flora, with more than 50% of the fauna of Africa; approximately 400 species of mammals, including most of the relict populations of gorillas, chimpanzees et bonobos (pygmy chimpanzees) and about 50% of african elephants1 ; approximately 665 bird species (36% of which are endemic); more than 10,000 species of plants (of which about 3,000 are endemic).
COMIFAC is made up of eleven countries including Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the Central African Republic (CAR), Congo-Brazzaville, Rwanda, Cameroon, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Chad and Sao Tome and Principe.
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