BUJUMBURA, June 27 (ABP) – “Climate change poses a very serious threat to the socio-economic life of the population, caused mainly by anthropic activities, and against which the country must strengthen its resilience through proactive actions,” Dr. Athanase Nkunzimana, a professor and researcher at the University of Burundi and an expert in hydrometeorological risk and disaster prevention, told a check by ABP.
He indicated that among the main causes of climate change is the rise in the average global temperature. The concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere contributes to global warming, which is the main cause of climate change. Environmental degradation and demographic pressure are also at the root of massive destruction and environmental pollution, he added.
Regarding the impact of climate change on the socio-economic life of the people of Burundi, Dr. Nkunzimana emphasized that climate change has a much greater impact on the country’s economy in general and on the population in particular. More than 90% of Burundians make their living from agriculture, and their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) depends on it. When there are rainfall deficits of two to five months, there is a significant decrease in harvests, he explained.
He was corroborated by Mr. Tharcisse Ndayizeye, an environmental researcher, who pointed out that this decrease in production, due to the irregular presence or absence of rain, leads to an increase in food prices on the market.
Dr. Nkunzimana revealed other consequences related to climate change. He cited the hydrological deficit (as in the case of the Rwegura reservoir in 2007), the depletion of water resources, landslides, human and material losses, the proliferation of unusual diseases, the proliferation of other types of mosquitoes that aggravate malaria, lung diseases due to air pollution, carcinogenic diseases, premature births, abortions, abnormalities in newborns, as well as both human and animal migration, thus causing a huge loss of biodiversity.
Added to these consequences are plant diseases. For example, cocoyams are no longer cultivated in certain regions of the country following the disease that attacked them during the drought of 1999 and 2001. The mosaic disease that attacks cassava, banana diseases and many others still persist. Even animal health is not spared, he emphasized.
According to Mr. Ndayizeye, climate change causes conflicts related to the scarcity of water and land resources. “On average, 1,000 children are born every day in Burundi, while the country’s area of 27,834 km2 does not increase,” he revealed, while calling on the population to engage in general introspection. He deplored that “poor countries continue to become poorer, while rich countries are becoming richer at the expense of victims as a result of actions taken by their industries.”
Given that Burundi has the Kibira forest, which sequester CO2 from the atmosphere, researcher Ndayizeye suggests that the government demand the implementation of the polluter-pays principle, so that countries responsible for greenhouse gas emissions reward our country. He also proposed the creation of a National Climate Change Response Fund, before urging the population to stop building in high-risk areas.
The two researchers therefore call for adaptation to climate change, family planning, responsible behavior, environmental awareness, and the prioritization of public transportation, energy-efficient equipment, and renewable energy, in order to avoid polluting the atmosphere and the environment.
Met in Gatumba of Mutimbuzi commune in Bujumbura province, Alexis Yamuremye, the head of the Kinyinya II site, which houses 1,747 households displaced following the floods, deplored the dilapidated, inadequate, and overflowing latrines, the insufficient food supply, and the dire lack of water, which, according to him, causes dirty-hand diseases, and infections among women and girls. He called for the emptying of the already overflowing latrines and the construction of new ones, as, he mentioned, the site currently has 90 latrines for all the aforementioned households.
The leader of 10 households (Nyumbakumi) on Avenue du Cinquantenaire in the Gaharawe neighborhood, Mrs. Judith Nijimbere, who was sheltered in an infrastructure owned by Mutimbuzi commune, also affected by the floods, said: “Our homes and land properties have been flooded, and we don’t know where to turn. We humbly ask the government and well-wishers to come to our aid.”
Another leader of 10 households at the Kinyinya II site by the name of Charles Nduwimana deplored that living conditions in a tent with a bedroom and a living room leaves something to be desired. “We live celibately because we sleep together with our children,” he revealed.
Mrs. Sophie Niyonkuru, one of the victims of the Gatumba floods, called for more healthcare staff, noting that the site is overcrowded and the health staff assigned there only work during the day. “We barely eat once a day because we have no source of income,” Mrs. Jeanine Myandagaro, another flood victim deplored.
Interviewed flood victims in Gatumba were unanimous in calling for the construction of a dike from the Rusizi River to Vugizo so they can return home to continue their income-generating activities. “We are ready to be masons’ assistants without asking for a daily allowance or compensation, so that the dike construction work can be completed as quickly as possible before the rains,” they promised.
Farmer Isidonie Nivyigira, interviewed at Musumba, Musigati commune in Bubanza province, indicated that her crop field sank in April 2023 due to groundwater pressure and erosion. She deplored the decrease in production for the 2023 growing season due to the shrinking of her field.
It is worth noting that the impacts of climate change affect all sectors. Climate change is occurring on a global scale and is driven by anthropic activity, researchers Nkunzimana and Ndayizeye emphasized.