The final workshop to review the draft Pre-Feasibility Study for a Nature based Solutions project in Burundi was held on 2 December 2024 in Bujumbura and was followed on 3 and 4 December by a field visit to the project area which is located in the Province of Kayanza and covering 8 collines in the Communes of Gatara, Matongo and Kayanza (see map).

The workshop was opened by MINEAGRIE’s Permanent Secretary, Ir. Emmanuel Ndorimana. He provided his key-note speech, emphasizing the importance of the project in relation to the country’s ambitions, policies and strategies.

On behalf of LVBC, a key-note speech was delivered by Project Development Officer Hilda Luoga on behalf of the LVBC’s Executive Secretary. She highlighted the importance of integrated catchment management to address some of the critical challenges in the Upper-Ruvubu Catchment, which are also having an impact on the Lake Victoria. She furthermore explained that the project will be considered under the German funded Programme “Fostering the Potential of the Lake Victoria,” in which also an NbS project in Rwanda is under preparation as well as a regional NbS knowledge management component.

Representatives from KfW (Anne Marie Ran and Isidore Nzobambona) and GIZ (Conrad Thombansen) were also present and highlighted the German Government interest for technically supporting Nature based solutions in the upstream areas of the LVB. The allocation for the Programme “Fostering the Potential of the Lake Victoria” is expected to be concluded in November 2025 after a process of discussions and decision making by the Partner States.

The workshop was chaired by Mr. Christian Nimubona, Director of Water Resources and Sanitation of the MINEAGRIE.

After the key-note speeches and introductions, Arsène Mukubwa, Head of the LVB IWRMP Project Coordination Unit clarified the programme and the workshop objectives.

 

Proposed intervention measures

The consultant delivered a presentation on the 10 intervention measures which were selected during the Conceptual Design workshop and further elaborated in the Conceptual Design Report. The factsheets of the measures were provided as a handout to the participants. The intervention measures include:

  • Reforestation
  • River regulation: small dams / reinforcement of banks / controlled flood zones
  • Earthworks of sloping agricultural land
  • Spring protection
  • Micro-irrigation system
  • Rainwater retention and infiltration
  • Agroforestry (avocados/passion fruit trees)
  • Simplified drinking water supply systems (to reduce the time and effort required to fetch water)
  • Domestic IWRM Package: Vegetable Garden, Rainwater Tank, Fuel-Efficient Stove, Ecosan Latrines, small livestock (Chicken, rabbit, goat etc.)
  • Capacity building, including optional establishment of a Catchment Management Committee.

 

Project Components and Cost Estimate

The intervention measures are grouped in three Components as follows:

 

The total investments of the project are estimated at EUR 4.3 million, whereas the total project costs would reach around EUR 5.3 million.

The draft road map towards further preparation of the project was presented and discussed. Key steps include:

  • Submission of the approved pre-FS to KfW for financing consideration (Feb 2025)
  • Draft NbS Programme package with proposed budget allocations presented to Partner States for approval (May/June 2025)
  • Preparation of the Grant Agreement (EAC Secretariat – LVBC – KfW) and the Separate Agreement (Aug-Oct 2025)
  • Signing of the Grant Agreement and Separate Agreement for the Programme “Fostering the Potential of the Lake Victoria” (Latest Nov. 2025)

Field visit

After the workshop a field visit to the project area was organised, with participation from MINEAGRIE, LVBC, KfW, GIZ and the consultant. The field visit took place on Dec. 3 and 4, 2024.

The delegation visited the BPEAE [1]in Kayanza Province, the governor’s office in Kayanza, and the Commune of Gatara. The field visit was facilitated by the BPEAE and by the Communes of Gatara and Matongo. Several erosion hot spots in the area were observed and discussed during the trip. A wrap up meeting was held in Bujumbura after return from the area.

A key conclusion was that the landscape, land use, social and hydrological conditions of the project area are complex and highly interwoven. Any interventions should be carefully planned on selected hotspots, where innovative approaches can be tested and demonstrated, and where full support and engagement of the community and other relevant stakeholders can be expected.

 

Pics: Scenes showing the Upper Catchment and Reach of Ruvubu River

[1] Bureau Provincial de l’Environnement, Agriculture, et Elevage