Taking account of problems relating to the management of natural resources and the maintenance of ecological balances now appears to be a new and essential dimension of the actions to be taken in the field of development and the fight against poverty. The fight against poverty must therefore involve sustainable land management and the fight against land degradation, and the National Programme of Action to Combat Land Degradation (PAN) is intended to be the instrument for integrating all actions taken in this direction. This NAP was developed within the international framework of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification adopted by Burundi in 1994.