Created in 1992, the Organization for the Defense of the Environment in Burundi was approved on 28 October 1992 and therefore enjoys its own legal personality and maintains useful contacts with the circles of official decision-makers and those of international environmental organizations. As the first civil society organization in environmental protection, ODEB has contributed a lot to raising public awareness about the importance of protecting the environment. The vision of ODEB is that of a green landscape where fauna, flora and water resources are well preserved and well managed and where the regularity of the climate ensures the long-term well-being of the population.

Focused on the environment, the mission of ODEB is as follows:

• Work to increase the awareness of the population on the urgent need for the sustainable protection of ecosystems;
• Support populations who take initiatives aimed at ecologically sustainable development and measures to adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change;
• Commit to relentless advocacy for the promotion of policies and the concrete application of laws on environmental protection with political-administrative authorities.
• To the extent of its possibilities and with the support of all its partners, seek to promote and undertake activities for the reforestation of areas that are not or only slightly covered in the region in which it operates;
• Make every effort to mobilize all actors involved in the sustainable management of water resources to understand and assume their responsibilities.