Burundi boasts a remarkable diversity of animal and plant species, positioning it as a biodiversity hotspot within East Africa. The vast majority of Burundi’s population, exceeding 90%, relies on biodiversity for their sustenance, encompassing vital sectors like agriculture, fisheries, and forestry. The potential loss of biodiversity poses a significant threat to the nation’s economy and food security. Forests are particularly pivotal in providing essential ecosystem services, ranging from supplying medicinal plants crucial for local communities to furnishing fuelwood essential for cooking and heating purposes.

Additionally, Burundi features diverse aquatic ecosystems, including marshes, lakes, ponds, and streams. Given the country’s heavy dependence on biodiversity for agricultural produce, fisheries, forests, and medicinal resources, biodiversity preservation remains of utmost importance in Burundi.

	Score	Rank	Change
Total Score – NCI 2024	50.75	143	N/A
Land Management	45	137	N/A
Protected Areas (Terrestrial)	16	161	N/A
Ecological Representativeness of Terrestrial Protected Areas	36	134	N/A
Connectedness of Terrestrial Protected Areas	40	141	N/A
Protected Areas (Marine)
Pristine Habitat (Converted Land)	69	164	N/A
Sustainable Nitrogen Management (Soil Pollution)	45	58	N/A
Sustainable Pesticide Use	62	44	N/A
Threats to Biodiversity	81	6	N/A
Threatened Species (Terrestrial)	92	41	N/A
Threatened Species (Marine)
Threatened Species’ Coverage by Protected Areas	94	71	N/A
Species Coverage by Marine Protected Areas
Species with Declining Populations (Terrestrial)	40	38	N/A
Species with Declining Populations (Marine)
Depleted Fisheries
Fishery Pressure in the High Seas
Invasive Species Pressure	99	14	N/A
Capacity and Governance	50	165	N/A
Total Management Cost	100	3	N/A
Conservation Culturomics	23	165	N/A
Conservation Legislation	34	116	N/A
Ratification of CBD	100	1	N/A
Ratification of CITES	100	1	N/A
Political Stability and Absence of Violence	30	124	N/A
Control of Corruption	20	172	N/A
Government Effectiveness	24	160	N/A
Future Trends	27	159	N/A
Climate Change Mitigation	27	159	N/A

Four pillars elaborated:

Land Management

Burundi takes pride in its 14 protected areas, covering 5.6% of its landmass and safeguarding 31% of its natural ecosystems. These designated zones consist of one national park, two nature reserves, and three natural monuments. Specifically, Kibira National Park, celebrated for its chimpanzees and diverse bird species, falls under the category of national parks. Nature reserves like Bururi Forest and Kigwena Forest serve as vital havens for preserving valuable biodiversity.

Notable natural monuments include Chutes de la Kagera, an awe-inspiring waterfall, and the Source du Nil, marking the origins of the Nile River. Geographically distributed, these protected areas include Kibira National Park in the northwest, Bururi Forest in the southwest, and the Source du Nil in the south. The management of these areas falls under the jurisdiction of the National Institute for Nature Conservation (INECN).

Threats to Biodiversity

The major threats to biodiversity in Burundi are deforestation and depletion of biological resources, overexploitation of animals, pollution, the proliferation of invasive alien species, rapid replacement of agricultural breeds and varieties in use, and climate change. Deforestation in the country is caused by uncontrolled harvesting of biological resources, land clearance for agricultural purposes, mining activities, urban development, overgrazing, and bushfires.

Capacity and Governance

Burundi engages in cooperative efforts with neighboring nations and regional bodies to enhance research and training initiatives. For instance, collaboration with Belgium includes joint university programs focused on doctoral-level training. Moreover, partnerships between the National Institute for the Environment and Nature Conservation, the University of Burundi, and Belgian institutions like the Royal Museum for Central Africa and the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences support activities linked to biodiversity through centers like the African Biodiversity Information Centre and the Global Taxonomy Initiative.

Despite these collaborations, challenges persist, such as the absence of effective management structures, inadequate integration of biodiversity concerns into various sectors, insufficient human capacity, limited stakeholder engagement, and the absence of policies addressing protected areas, demographic shifts, and traditional knowledge protection. Additionally, although Burundi allocates funding for environmental projects, they are not specifically tailored to meet the goals and targets of the Convention.

Future Trends

In 2013, Burundi established its revised NBSAP 2013-2020, envisioning the comprehensive restoration, conservation, and wise utilization of biological diversity by 2030. This vision is supported by 11 guiding principles and five national priorities. These priorities aim to foster stakeholder engagement, halt biodiversity pressures through knowledge and effective techniques, preserve diverse ecosystems, optimize biodiversity benefits, and facilitate participatory planning, knowledge management, and capacity building efforts.

Biodiversity

The country’s western region, dominated by the shores of Lake Tanganyika, is one of the oldest and deepest lakes in the world. This lake is home to numerous endemic species, particularly cichlid fish, which exhibit remarkable diversity in form and behavior. The surrounding wetlands and marshes provide critical habitats for numerous bird species, including the elusive shoebill and the African fish eagle, as well as amphibians and reptiles.

Burundi’s forested regions, such as the Kibira National Park, represent a continuation of the Congo-Nile Divide forests. These montane forests harbor a variety of primate species, including chimpanzees and colobus monkeys, alongside an array of birds, insects, and plants unique to the Albertine Rift. The park’s dense vegetation and complex ecosystem make it a key area for both biodiversity and water catchment, supporting the livelihoods of local communities.

In the table below are the number of known species in several main groups, how many of these species are Threatened with extinction, and how many of them are Endemic (unique to Burundi only):

	Species (World rank)	Threatened	% Threatened	Endemic	% Endemic
Mammals	175 (#68)	14	8.0%	1	0.6%
Birds	586 (#56)	20	3.4%	1	0.2%
Reptiles	69 (#109)
Amphibians	29 (#83)	1	3.4%	1	3.4%
Fishes	244 (#159)	17	7.0%	6	2.5%
Plants	740 (#189)	51	6.9%	100	13.5%