GITEGA August 19th (ABP) – The Burundian senate unanimously adopted, on August 18, 2021 in the hemicycle of Gitega (center), the bill on the ratification by the Republic of Burundi of the grant agreement No TFOB5320 for additional funding for the Landscape Restoration and Resilience Project in Burundi (PRRPB) between the Republic of Burundi and the International Development Association, signed in Bujumbura on May 24, 2021.
The meeting was marked by the presence of the Minister of the Environment, Agriculture and Livestock, Mr. Déo Guide Rurema, who had represented the government to present the bill to members of the Senate and enlighten them on the subject. the most important aspects of that agreement.
Speaking on interest in the agreement, Minister Rurema said that it consists of funding of 6 million US dollars for a period of one year. He specified that this is additional funding to the Burundi Landscape Restoration and Resilience Project (PRRPB) which was approved in 2018 to tackle the root causes of landscape degradation upstream, by investing in the development of resilient landscapes through restoration efforts and sustainable landscape management (PDM) practices. The project intervention area is made up of the communes of Buhinyuza and Isare, respectively in the provinces of Muyinga and Bujumbura, on the one hand; and three protected areas, namely Ruvubu National Park, part of Kibira National Park and Bururi Forest Nature Reserve, on the other.
As for additional funding, Mr. Rurema said it will promote active participation for better use and allocation of land in the targeted landscapes.
He added that this funding will also help communities restore degraded landscapes and install sustainable land management (SLM) practices in the hills targeted for more sustainable and resilient food production, and strengthening of food chains. commodity value. Finally, he said that the funding in question will promote activities that reduce the conversion and degradation of forests due to encroachment within the Kibira National Park in areas adjacent to those landscapes.