Climate change is among the environmental problems that humanity faces today. This phenomenon is reflected in global warming, the impacts of which are dangerous for humans and the environment in general. Climate change does not spare any country in terms of its negative impacts, but it is mainly developing countries, especially the least developed countries such as Burundi, that are the most affected because they lack the means to mitigate and/or adapt to these changes.

Climate change now offers the international community an opportunity to question some of the development methods currently in practice and to choose others for the future. Key sectors of economic development are in danger. Moreover, if climate change is not controlled, all life on Earth will suffer the serious consequences. That is why action must start now and involve everyone. In Burundi, climate change is a reality whose consequences have been felt for some time. Several regions saw a clear break in the rainfall and hydrometric series.

In particular, the lack of rainfall has resulted in the worsening of aridity and the significant reduction of the main wetlands and the drying up of sources and the drying up of several rivers and lakes. Torrential rains and extreme temperatures are also climate phenomena that today reveal the increasing vulnerability of our country. The drop in production, the loss of human lives, the repeated floods, the repeated floods, the landslides, the increase in the risks of diseases, the loss of biodiversity, etc. are all consequences recorded in Burundi following climate disturbances.

In this context, it is necessary to develop a national climate change policy in order to propose priority measures and activities aimed at reducing the harmful effects of climate change across various of the country's most vulnerable socio-economic sectors, namely:

• The water resources sector;
• The agricultural sector;
• The energy sector;
• The landscape and natural ecosystems sector;
• The health sector.

Today, the country is working to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), with the United Nations the main objective being to reduce poverty by half by 2015. In view of the risks incurred as a result of climate change, it is necessary to define a national climate change policy in order to achieve sustainable development. The national climate change policy is part of the implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol to which Burundi is a party. The aim is to effectively manage climate change in such a way that the harmful effects it has on different sectors and in various areas are minimized.

This document aims to strengthen the control of climate change in the country, and in this sense serves as a reference for actions to be taken. It also provides broad guidelines focusing on implementation strategies to deal with climate change. Thus, efforts must be made in the implementation of this policy through the engagement of all stakeholders. We would therefore like to express our thanks to the Burundian population and to the national and international institutions that have been more involved in the development of this national climate change policy document.