LAKE VICTORIA BASIN

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)

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).

Burundi’sWetlands

Goliath heron by the Ruzizi river, Bujumbura

Gully running through agricultural landscape in Burundi