On February 28, 2020, an awareness-raising session was held for students from the Lycée Communal de Gatumba on the importance of the biodiversity of the Rusizi National Park and the Bujumbura Arboretum as well as the ecosystem services associated with this biodiversity. This was organized as part of the synergy project between the Burundian Office for Environmental Protection (OBPE) and the company called Burundi Construction Products (PROCOBU)

 

Were present:

 

The Administrative and Financial Director, Representative of the Director General of OBPE, the Head of the Rusizi National Park (PNri), the Administrator of PROCOBU and initiator of the Arboretum of Bujumbura, the executives of the OBPE, the guides of the PNRI and the Bujumbura Arboretum, the Communal Director of Education, Technical and Professional Training of Mutimbuzi, the Director, the teachers and students of the Gatumba Communal High School as well as the villagers living on the banks of the Rusizi National Park. In total there were 240 participants including 2 organizers, 2 trainers, 2 trainers, 206 students, 206 students, 10 teachers, 12 fishermen, 5 tourist guides and 3 support persons including the CHM assistant and the coordinator of the Biodiversity Research Service.

 

Overview of session participants

Welcome word of welcome

 

The welcome speech was delivered by the Interim Manager of PNRI. He welcomed the participants. He took the opportunity to give a brief presentation of this park and its biodiversity. He noted that this protected area has two sectors, including the Delta sector, dominated by Acacia polyacantha savannas, and the Palmeraie sector, dominated by Hyphaene petersiana groves.

Within this park, there are islands sheltering water birds, which are often migratory. In addition to hippopotamuses, the latter are tourist attractions in the area. Finally, he called on the various participants in general and the students in particular to take advantage of this opportunity to contemplate the rich biodiversity of this park in order to get involved in its preservation and sustainable management.

Welcome message by the PNRI manager

Opening remarks

 

The opening remarks of the meeting were delivered by the Administrative and Financial Director who represented the Director General of the Burundian Office for Environmental Protection. She started this word by thanking the various participants in this session who responded to this invitation.

She said that this activity was part of raising awareness among populations living near protected areas about the importance of their biodiversity and the ecosystem services that flow from it.

She deplored the fact that this biodiversity is threatened as a result of human actions, without realizing the environmental impacts resulting in a fatal disaster. She ended her speech by stressing that this session was organized for young people, the future of tomorrow, to call on them to get involved in the preservation of this biodiversity.
	Opening remarks of the session by the Representative of the CEO of OBPE

 

	After the opening remarks, the program of activities was presented by the organizers on behalf of OBPE and PROCOBU. The organizers reported that it had been organized to explore firstly the biodiversity of the Rusizi National Park and secondly the Bujumbura Arboretum. And this was organized in order to contemplate the different biodiversity of the two protected environments.
Presentation of the program of the awareness session

Subsequently, a guided tour began in the Rusizi National Park precisely at the level of its Delta sector. The 200 students who were present were divided into groups and each group was guided by OBPE agents who controlled the biodiversity of this park. Thus, during this visit, different habitats were explored as well as their biodiversity. Thus Acacia polyacantha savannas and temporarily flooded grasslands were visited. Different dominant species have been shown and edible species, used in traditional medicine or for other purposes. Each time, the guides should explain and answer the various questions of the participants.

 

Guided visit to Rusizi National Park

 

After the visit to the Rusizi National Park, the exploration of the Bujumbura arboretum followed.

Guided tour in the Bujumbura arboretum

 

According to the manager of this arboretum, it was created in 2002 in order to preserve indigenous species that have been exterminated as a result of anthropogenic actions, either in protected areas or in other natural ecosystems in Burundi. This arboretum is a gene bank for endangered species.
	Presentation of the Bujumbura Arboretum by its manager

 

The manager of the arboretum and his assistant during the guided tour, emphasized that this arboretum is made up of a mosaic of habitats. Indeed, there are habitats with more or less closed tree cover and more or less open habitats. Different native species have been observed in the different habitats at different stages of growth ranging from small seedlings to trees of up to more than 10 m in height. Some of these species include Acacia sieberiana, Acacia albida, Acacia albida, Erythrina abyssinica, Albizia coriaria, Hyphaene petersiana, Ficus capensis, Ficus capensis, Ficus ovata,...

- Guided tour in the Bujumbura arboretum

 

After the visit to the arboretum, various speeches followed, in particular those of the Director of the Gatumba Communal High School, the Administrator of the arboretum and finally that of the closing speech of the Representative of the CEO of the OBPE.

Overview of students after the guided tour at the Bujumbura Arboretum

 

By concluding the activities of this day, the Director of the Gatumba Communal High School began by thanking the organizers of this session including OBPE and PROCOBU.

 

	He confirmed that this activity was too instructive and enriching, in terms of biodiversity, for students as well as for teachers. He called on the initiators of this project to increase this type of activities so that the young generation can acquire more information on Burundi's biodiversity so that their involvement is effective in its sustainable management.
Speech by the Director of the Gatumba Communal High School

 

Afterwards, the arboretum administrator thanked the participants for the interest shown during the visit to the arboretum. He recalled that the time planned for this activity did not allow the entire environment to be visited, but he confirmed that such actions will be multiplied in order to make Burundi's biodiversity better known.
	Speech by the administrator of the Bujumbura Arboretum

 

Finally, the Representative of the CEO of OBPE closed the session by also thanking the various participants for showing interest in improving their knowledge of biodiversity in Burundi. He also said that such initiatives will be multiplied so that the entire population in general and young people in particular are aware of the importance of the biodiversity of protected areas in Burundi so that they are involved in their sustainable management.

Closing remarks from the Representative of the CEO of OBPE