Burundi's protected areas have an area of 157,923 hectares, or 5.6% of the national territory. The importance of these ecosystems in defense is great. Indeed, protected areas play a fundamental role in regulating water regimes and protecting watersheds on steep slopes against erosion.

They maintain essential climatic conditions for the country's agriculture, while allowing electricity production and irrigation. They provide the essential conditions for the perpetuation of a great diversity of animal and plant species on which Burundi must rely to develop tourism. For their survival, the population living near protected areas harvests several biological resources there. They also play an imminent role in carbon sequestration and in the mitigation of climate change-related disasters.

Despite their critical importance, protected areas can only play all of these roles when they are well protected. The Constitution of the Republic of Burundi states that natural resources must be preserved. Laws and decrees relating to the creation and management of protected areas exist, such as law no. 1/10 of 30 May 2011 on the creation and management of protected areas in Burundi, which accords a large part to the joint management of these ecosystems between the State and the local populations. The Environmental Code, the Water Code and the Forest Code strongly support the protection of these areas rich in biodiversity and ecosystem services.