Recognizing the intrinsic value of biological diversity and of its environmental, genetic, socio-economic, scientific, educational, cultural, recreational and aesthetic components, Burundi ratified the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in 1996, thus adhering to its objectives.

 

Through this commitment, Burundi had just confirmed and created a formal national framework to establish an active policy to strengthen biodiversity conservation measures. In order to implement the objectives of the CBD, Burundi has developed a National Strategy and Action Plan (SNPA-DB) for the conservation, sustainable use of elements of biological diversity and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from their use. This work was financed by the Global Environment Fund (GEF) and was commissioned by the Ministry of Land Management and Environment (MINATE) and executed through the National Institute for Environment and Nature Conservation (INECN).

 

In the same vein and with the same donors, sponsor and implementing agency, two national consultants supported by 6 six resource persons developed a capacity building strategy to implement the SNPA-DB, at least in the section concerning ex situ conservation. In this specific case, the aim is to assess the needs for capacity building for the ex situ conservation of wild biological resources of economic interest, with emphasis on food and agricultural resources.

 

After establishing an inventory of the elements of biodiversity requiring ex situ conservation measures, an inventory of this type of conservation was also established. Then, the capacities to be strengthened were identified and the strengthening measures were proposed. Finally, a concrete project on the domestication of wild biological resources of agricultural and food interest is proposed for an amount of three million seven hundred thirty five thousand American dollars.

 

The next steps to implement the proposed measures have been identified and monitoring mechanisms have been established.