MAKAMBA November 6th (ABP) – The Burundian Office for Environmental Protection (OBPE) organized on November 2, 2023 in Makamba, a training workshop for communities including charcoal producers, on the regeneration of ecosystems.
The director of forests at OBPE, Mr. Samuel Nibitanga, indicated that environmental protection is a priority. He reminded the participants to raise awareness among those around them to tackle the work of preparing, installing and monitoring the nurseries, set up on all the villages. When the seedlings are ready to plant, the population will have to plant and monitor the seedlings to ensure that they have grown.
According to him, the population should know that protecting the environment by planting trees, avoiding bush fires and drawing contour lines can contribute to the fight against land degradation and deforestation. Mr. Nibitanga noted the consequences of human activity following climate change. He reported that more than 38 million tons of arable land are lost each year in Burundi. That is why every Burundian should contribute to the protection and conservation of the environment.
Mr. Nibitanga also specified that the investigation carried out in Makamba province showed the existence of 46 timber companies which use 301.4 m³ per month, hence the need to plant many trees to replace those which are used. in different human activities.
Participants expressed the need to have another source of energy that can replace firewood or charcoal, to save the forests that are being destroyed in Burundi. Here, the director of forests at OBPE indicated that the Government anticipates that peat will replace wood as a source of energy without however putting aside the use of gas currently being raised, considered less expensive by compared to charcoal. He gave the example that gas worth 10,000 BIF can be used for work done by charcoal worth 50,000 BIF.
To achieve positive results in environmental protection and ecosystem regeneration, synergy between the population, administrative staff and OBPE services is necessary, he concluded.