BUJUMBURA June 28th (ABP) – The Ministry of National Education and Scientific Research, in collaboration with the National Commission for Science, Technology and Innovation (CNSTI), organized from June 24 to June 26, at ETS Kamenge, the Academia public private partnership forum, 2021 edition, under the theme “the Burundian intelligentsia at the service of development through research, innovation and technology transfer”.
The Executive Secretary of the CNSTI, Mr. Tatien Masharabu, indicated that this forum aims to strengthen collaboration, in the form of partnership, on networks relating to science, technology and innovation. He also specified that this activity aims to create and develop synergy between producers and users of knowledge resulting from research and innovation.
During the presentations, Mrs Euphrasie Bigirimana presented the theme “Young people and entrepreneurship: state of play, challenges and strategies”. She indicated that “Entrepreneurship is not a coincidence. To do so, the first important step is to have an entrepreneurial spirit”.
To that end, she said, the Light University of Bujumbura created the university center for training and research in entrepreneurship (CUFORE), with the objective of awakening and strengthening the entrepreneurial culture among young people and women in particular.
According to her, the job offer is very small. Young people who complete their studies are doomed to unemployment, and young girls opt for early marriage. Then, she continues to say, the big challenge in the field of entrepreneurship is related to the lack of start-up funds. On that occasion, she invited young unemployed graduates to create their jobs, meaning that CUFORE is there to help anyone concerned with entrepreneurship.
On his part, Mr. Alexis Nimubona, during his presentation on “water fluctuation and the impacts associated with Kibira National Park”, said that the conservation of Kibira National Park requires the collective participation of the local people and administration and regional and international participation.
Mr. Nimubona indicated that the surface occupied by water decreased from 2.13 km2 in 1986 to 2.1 km2 in 1990, from 1.75 km2 in 2011 and from 1.94 km2 in 2016. He added that the Kibira protection zone of 150 m, 300 m and 450 m becomes 449 km, 470 km and 491 km respectively, i.e. a respective increase of 22 km2 (5%), 43 km2 (10%) and 64 km2 ( 15%) of the total area of Kibira.
According to the presenter, the variation in the water level of the Rwegura hydroelectric center, climate change, agricultural activities in the forest, poaching activities, firewood cutting activities, erosion and grazing are causes which could lead to the degradation of the park. He recommended that the control of activities in the park and the regeneration of degraded areas outside the Kibira through the growing of native species be ensured.
He further recommended the protection of the watershed by prohibiting activities likely to disturb the balance of forest ecosystems by growing trees in degraded areas, the prohibition of grazing and uncontrolled mining. He also proposes raising the awareness of the local people and the construction of erosion control structures (contour strip, anti-erosion hedges, and plant trenches) on the slopes as a priority.