Stop the Pain: How Prevention Beats Suffering Every Time

The effects of climate change have caused widespread damage, including destruction of public and private infrastructure, loss of life and damage to fields. The government plans to set up an early warning center at a cost equivalent to 22 million US dollars. Senators and MPs around the world are calling for less talk and more action to protect the environment.

Anicet Nibaruta, president of the national platform for risk prevention and disaster management, noted that the government intends to establish an early warning center at a cost equivalent to 22 million US dollars.

Burundi is among the twenty countries most threatened by the effects of climate change. Since the start of the rainy season in September 2023 until mid-April 2024, heavy rains, floods and landslides under the influence of the El Niño phenomenon have affected more than 237,000 people (55% of whom are women) causing 29 deaths and 175 injuries. More than 42,000 people (57% of whom were women) were forced to move, 19,250 houses were destroyed or damaged, more than 200 classrooms were destroyed or flooded. Roads, water networks and health facilities were also affected.

For the year 2024 (January-mid-April), more than 179,200 people were affected and more than 31,200 people were forced to be displaced following the floods. The most affected states were Cibitoke, Bubanza, Bujumbura and Rumonge.

Among those affected, 23,109 households reported the loss of their fields and food security sector estimates show that almost 40,000 hectares of fields have been damaged out of just over 400,000 hectares of cultivable fields, or 10% of areas under food crops in the country for 2024A cultivation growth. term. These losses have a major impact on food security and household livelihoods.

However, the president of the national platform for risk prevention and disaster management Anicet Nibaruta noted that Burundi contacted the World Bank, the European Union and the United Nations System in Burundi to ask them for support to act instead of a post-disaster assessment. This will allow the country to benefit from material and financial support in this area. According to the management of the national platform for risk prevention and natural disaster management, this post-disaster assessment showed that Burundi loses 98 million US dollars per year as a result of climatic hazards.

Burundi, a country at risk due to climate change

More than 2,000 households (about 10,000 people) from the Gatumba zone lived in the flooded areas; 2,500 people from Gabaniro-Kirasa hill were affected by the landslides. The government has taken steps to relocate the victims of climate change. Some Gatumba were relocated to Gisagara site in Mubimbi commune and some from Gabaniro hill were relocated to the Gitaza Trades Center in Bujumbura province. The relocation operation began on Friday May 10, 2024. Currently, they report that they are living in deplorable conditions due to lack of suitable shelter and other basic needs for their survival.

Support ddevelopment partners

In order to assist and support people affected by this climate crisis, the World Bank has promised to pay an amount of 80 million US dollars. The European Union has already released 31 million US dollars for carrying out work to protect the waters of Lake Tanganyika and Lake Kivu. The Embassy of the United States of America in Burundi also announced that it will release 1 million US dollars to mitigate the effects of this crisis. China also pledged to provide aid of 1 million US dollars. All these promises were made during the flood period.

Establish an early warning centre, an asset

Burundi still does not have an early warning system to allow the population to escape certain disasters. During a workshop to take advantage of the achievements of a project entitled: “Emergency response to meet the needs of the population affected by floods in Burundi” held in the province of Rumonge on October 7, 2024, Anicet Nibaruta, president of the national platform for risk disaster prevention and management noted that the project to create a national center for risk reduction and natural disaster management through the early warning system was launched in February 2024 in Gitega.

Nibaruta also noted that creating this center is very expensive. “The Burundian State cannot achieve this alone, because it will up to US$22,000,000. In this case, the country need help. At the world summit on the environment to be held in November in Baku, Azerbaijan, we will bring our road map for the establishment of the national center for reducing natural risks and disasters through the early warning system.

Furthermore, in Through this centre, the press (especially community media) will be supported to provide information about the weather in real time, to allow the population to prepare accordingly.

To do this, Nibaruta informs that the Burundi National Institute of Statistics (INSBU), with the support of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), is in the process of conducting socio-economic impact studies of the latest natural disasters. This will justify the request for help.

An urgent call to action

The President of the Senate recently took part in the 141st meeting of parliamentarians and deputies around the world in Switzerland. After his return on Sunday October 20, 2024, Emmanuel Sinzohagera announced that he had presented the steps already taken by Burundi to protect the environment such as planting trees and the laws passed, especially the review of the environment code. “We said to those who attended this meeting that it is time for world leaders to start taking action rather than continuing to talk. We have asked for less talk and more action, because powerful states are polluting the air. At home, the air is open, but we do not pollute on the same level as them and the consequences of their actions fall on us. Therefore, we face floods, droughts and strong winds due to their income generating activities.

Sinzohagera added that they are asking for very little speech so that people can start working on activities that could contribute to protecting the environment. “We hope that those taking part in the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) will also bring this concern to representatives of parliamentarians and deputies on a global scale so that the some who are responsible make statements to act and really. working to protect the environment with justice for future generations in mind.”