Deforestation is rampant in protected areas in southern Burundi. Among other causes, illegal occupation and exploitation as well as bush fires. The eco-guards are fighting relentlessly for their preservation

This report was produced by Rénovat Ndabashinze with support from the Rainforest Journalism Fund and Pulitzer Center.

Seen from a distance, the Vyanda Forest Reserve, in Bururi province, offers a dense vegetation cover. Giant, bushy, verdant trees refresh the region. A splendid panoramic view, a very mild climate. However, it hides other realities: this forest is suffering. “Anthropogenic actions are the main threats”, analyzes Léonidas Nzigiyimpa, environmental activist. As a result of demographic pressure, he explains, more than 300 households have been illegally occupying this reserve for more than 5 years. A very pronounced location on the Karehe and Karirimvya hills.

To get firewood and trees to build houses, these returnees from Tanzania abuse and illegally exploit this heritage. Fields of cassava and banana trees are planted there. Tree cutting and poaching are the cause of bushfires.

The Bururi natural forest is also suffering. Extending over 3,300 hectares, Claude Nshimirimana, an eco-guard, stresses that his residents have not yet understood its importance: “Some people enter it to cut down trees, look for medicines or honey, set traps for antelopes, etc.” The most sought-after medicinal species are zanthoxyllum gilletii (intareyirungu) and entandrophragma (umuyove).). “They're taking off their bark. And over time, these trees dry up.”

The expansion of urban centers is also a threat. “The bigger the city gets, the more the forest is invaded by homes and social infrastructures and the greater the demand for coal or firewood”, analyzes Mr. Nshimirimana. This leads to excessive deforestation.

A similar situation in Kigwena, municipality and Rumonge province. Pascal Niyokindi, eco-guard, indicates that the residents of this forest reserve are constantly installing fields of oil palm trees, maize, cassava, etc. Same for the protected areas Rukambasi, Makamba province or Rumonge province.

Bushfires are also among the threats. Recognizing a slight improvement, Léonidas Nzigiyimpa reports that 240 hectares went up in smoke in 2019. “In 2017 and 2018, the situation was catastrophic. The fires ravaged between 800 and 900 hectares.” The perpetrators are mainly local residents looking for wild honey using fire to dislodge bees, charcoal manufacturers or herders looking for pasture.

As for Samuel Ndayiragije, Inspector General at the Ministry of Environment, Agriculture and Livestock, makes a bitter observation: “Following deforestation, a forest gallery is in danger of disappearing in Monge. Kinoso's no longer exists. ” He deplores the fact that the Moso Sugar Company (SOSUMO) has taken over a large part of the Malagarazi protected area by planting sugar cane there. “The population also benefitted. It is an area in constant threat.”

In Kayogoro, Bigina zone, Makamba province, the Bigina savannah is now occupied by homes of returnees from Tanzania.

“Our job is a vocation otherwise...”

In the south of the country, despite the difficulties, eco-guards are fighting to preserve these protected landscapes. In Bururi, only eight people watch over 3300 hectares. “We wake up at 3 am. We arrive in the forest at 6 am, before the chimpanzees wake up and leave their nests,” says Claude Nshimirimana, a tracker. To get to the rally point, they drive for miles during the night. The trip is done on foot and in teams. This gives them a hard time during the rainy season because they don't have the right equipment like raincoats and booties. “Our job is a vocation, otherwise we would have already abandoned it. We just love what we do, nature and its wealth.” They spend all day in the vicinity of the chimpanzees following their movements.

These eco-guards are often attacked. To defend themselves, Pascal Niyokindi, another eco-guard, says that they only have machetes, spears or sticks. He points out that sometimes poachers are armed with rifles or more numerous than them. This justifies his request that they be armed with rifles, as is the case in Tanzania or Kenya. Samuel Ndayiragije, Inspector General at the Ministry of Environment, Agriculture and Livestock, agrees: “In the face of fire, you need fire.” In addition, he notes that these eco-guards are in short supply. “They need training, means of travel and communication.”

Despite the challenges, Pascal Niyokindi is delighted that their presence is bearing fruit. “We show local residents the importance of these forests, their wealth, etc. We also alert the administration and the police in case of illegal deforestation, the presence of poachers, etc.” This is confirmed by Joseph Bukuru, a resident of the protected landscape of Rukambasi: “It is thanks to them that we understood that deforestation leads to desertification. That it is thanks to forests that we receive rainfall. Therefore, if it did not rain, we would not be able to farm and feed our families.”

He assures that the inhabitants welcome the work of these eco-guards to the point of participating in the preservation of forests.