BUJUMBURA March 6th (ABP) – The Director of Forests, Mr. Epimeny Nibizi, announced on Monday March 4, 2019 to the check by ABP that logging licenses are only issued in Bujumbura for both public and private afforestation, but the Ministry in charge of the Environment should decentralize its services to facilitate people seeking that document.
Speaking of private afforestation, Mr. Nibizi pointed out that a citizen is not allowed to cut trees over an area of more than ½ hectare (ha). They must consult the Ministry in charge of the Environment to benefit from a license of exploitation.
Since the year 2018, the Director of forests added, the supervising ministry had a national program of reforestation on 410 ha, namely 250 ha in Ruyigi with exotic species, including eucalyptus and callitris on the mountain ranges of Mpungwe and Birime; 50 ha in Cankuzo, 110 ha in and around the Kibira Nature Reserve with native species. He is delighted with the step taken to achieve that goal, saying that with the new “Ewe Burundi Urambaye” program, the security corps will provide a strong hand in the protection of reforested areas.
The Director of Forests asks the State to set up a forest fund as indicated in the Forest Code, with the aim of facilitating the possible travel of Burundi Environmental Protection Authority staff to monitor the reforested areas and the preparation and reforestation of new sites. He noted that eucalyptus trees should be planted on high altitude soils to avoid drying up of water sources and marshes.
