| Burundi | ||||||||||||||||
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| Location | Located in Central Africa, bordering with Rwanda, Tanzania, and the Democratic Republic of Congo | |||||||||||||||
| National websites | Official Burundi Website (in French, but can be translated into English using Alta Vista's Translator) | |||||||||||||||
| Embassy / Chancery in U.S. | Embassy
of the Republic of Burundi
2233 Wisconsin Avenue, NW Suite 212 Washington, DC 20008 Telephone: (202) 332-5577 |
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| Agencies responsible for biological inventory and conservation | Ministry of Land and Environment | |||||||||||||||
| Non-governmental organizations concerned with conservation | Peacecorps | |||||||||||||||
| Major Natural Resources | Some of Burundi's major agricultural products are coffee, cotton, tea, corn, sorghum, sweet potatoes, bananas, manioc (tapioca); meat, milk, and hides. Burundi has some deposits of nickel, uranium, rare earth oxides, peat, cobalt, copper, platinum (not yet exploited), and vanadium and gold is mined on a small scale. Coffee, tea, and cotton are grown for trade, especially coffee which is the chief conmmercial crop and export. Beans, cassava, corn (maize), rice, sweet potatoes, peanuts, peas, and sorghum are subsistence crops. Soybeans, oil palms, and sugarcane are grown as well. Much of Burundi's soil is rich volcanic soil suitable for many types of agriculture. | |||||||||||||||
| Major Environmental and Conservation Issues | Some of the major environmental issues that Burundi is facing are high population density and growth, an inefficient protected area network,, soil erosion (caused by overgrazing and the expansion of agriculture into marginal lands), deforestation (there is little forested land left), and the threat of wildlife populations due to habitat loss. Rapid population growth results in a lack of employment opportunities that leads to heavy reliance on agriculture and land usage. Deforestation is caused by the need for fuel, wood materials, and farmland. Alternative fuels must be developed to ensure the survival of the forests. Land is in short supply with the large populations of people and livestock. Many of these animals are poor in health. Conservation efforts for flore and fauna are being hampered by the lack of land and money and the poor enforcement of environmental legislature. | |||||||||||||||
| Statistics | Information Sources | |||||||||||||||
| Land area | 25,650 sq km | CIA World Factbook | ||||||||||||||
| Area of forest | 325 ha | World Resources Institute (WRI) | ||||||||||||||
| Area of wetlands | 2,180 sq km | World Resources Institute (WRI) | ||||||||||||||
| Area of territorial waters | landlocked | CIA World Factbook | ||||||||||||||
| Population | 5,537,387 (July 1998 est.) | CIA World Factbook | ||||||||||||||
| Population Density | 215.9 persons per sq km | CIA World Factbook | ||||||||||||||
| Area protected (ha) (only areas >1000ha) at all IUCN levels | 89,000 ha | World Resources Institute (WRI) | ||||||||||||||
| Fraction of land area protected (%) | 3.2% | World Resources Institute (WRI) | ||||||||||||||
| Major Protected Areas |
List from Information Center for the Environment |
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| Endemic Species |
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| Endangered, Threatened and Vulnerable Species |
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World Conservation Monitoring Centre - Animal | ||||||||||||||
| Extinct Species |
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World Conservation Monitoring Centre - Animal | ||||||||||||||
| Species listed on CITES Appendix I | CITES-listed Species Database | |||||||||||||||
| Species listed on CITES Appendix II | CITES-listed Species Database | |||||||||||||||
| Legislation | ||||||||||||||||
| Laws protecting endangered or threatened species | African
Convention on the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources
Laws that recognize the importance of flora, fauna, and the conservation of natural resources in Africa (September 1968) The government of Burundi is now trying to enforce protection laws of its wildlife and other natural resources. |
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| Laws protecting endangered ecosystems |
African
Convention on the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources
Laws that recognize the importance of flora, fauna, and the conservation of natural resources in Africa (September 1968) |
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| Signatory to CITES | Ratified, 1988 | |||||||||||||||
| Signatory to Ramsar Wetlands Convention | No | |||||||||||||||
| Signatory to Convention on Biological Diversity | Ratified | |||||||||||||||
| Signatory to Migratory Bird Treaty | No | |||||||||||||||
| Member of International Whaling Commission | No | |||||||||||||||
| Signatory to other international treaties designed to protect or manage biological resources | Burundi has ratified the international treaties on climate change and ozone protection and is a signatory to the United Naitons Convention on the Law of the Sea | |||||||||||||||
| Natural Resource Use | Information Sources | |||||||||||||||
| Fisheries | From 1991 to 1993, the average annual freshwater catch was 22,000 metric tons and the average annual aquaculture production for freshwater fish was 100 metric tons. From 1990 to 1992, the total per capita annual food supply from fish and seafood was 3.7 kilograms, a 13.3% change from the period between 1980 to 1982. |
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| Forestry / deforestation | From 1980 to 1990, Burundi's natural forests are being deforested at a rate of 1 ha per year. The average roundwood production for 1993 was 4,595,000 cubic meters, with 99.2% used as fuel or charcoal. |
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| Ecotourism | Burundi has several national parks like Cankuzo that offer tourists views of its wildlife, such as lions and antelopes. Sport hunting along with nature views are popular tourist attractions and activities. Nyanza Lake is also used for recreation and amateur water sports. |
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| Trade in wildlife products | Though one elephant was documented within its borders, Burundi was able to export 23,000 ivory tusks. This shows ill-effects of the quota system implemented by CITES before the international ban of ivory. Governments launder ivory by registering stockpiles, regardless of where they came form. |
Save the Elephants?" |
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| Hunting | The hunting of chimpanzees is infrequent among the local people, but does occur in the northern forests where infant chimpanzees are hunted and sold in the capital. It has been reported that skulls have been placed for sale. Adult chimpanzees are often hunted for bushmeat. |
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| Other uses of natural resources | Burundi is a resource poor country in the early states of economic deveopment. 90% of its population is dependent on subsistence agriculture. The ability to pay for imports rests on the climate and international coffee market. |
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| Human Impacts on Natural Resources | Information Sources | |||||||||||||||
| Air pollution | N/A | |||||||||||||||
| Water pollution | One of Burundi's water pollution problems occurs with Lake Tanganyika, a rich biotic freshwater resouce, which is subject to many conservation projects due to increased water polllution from urban shoreline residences. Water resources are unprotected, which further complicates the issue. |
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| Development activities | The government of Burundi, with aid from UNCDF, is working on two projects. One is to improve agricultural and livestock production, implement soil fertilization techniques on farms, and reforest 390 ha. Another is the large scale urban development operation in Kanyosha. They plan to construct a drainage system, primary school, and a marketplace. |
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| Introduced species | About nine types of fish have been introduced to Burundi with uknown socioeconomic or ecological effects except for Ctenopharyngodon idella which has been noted as probably have adverse effects. Generally these species have been introduced for aquaculture or research reasons. |
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| Legislation addressing these issues | N/A | |||||||||||||||
| Restoration and Reintroduction | Information Sources | |||||||||||||||
| Programs for restoration of damaged habitat | From 1992 to 1997, Burundi participated in a program to conserve and develop upland watersheds. It was a program funded by the Italian government and executed through FAO. |
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| Programs for ex situ conservation (captive breeding and reintroduction) of endangered species | In order to protect chimpanzees from hunting or the deterioration of their habitat, USAID has provided funds to the Burundi government to support research and forest protection. Burundi's high population density often raises concerns over the state of its wildlife. |
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Return to Endangered Species Protection around the World
Page compiled by Katherine Jane Verano as part of a class project in H90 "The Science of Biodiversity and Conservation" (Peter J. Bryant, Instructor), University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA