Elias Bizuru

Malagarazi Wetlands Community-Based Conservation

Town/RegionCountryCategoriesDate
Malagarazi WetlandsBurundiAfrica, Wetlands4 Apr 2011

This project will contribute to poverty alleviation and biodiversity conservation. Certain development activities without negative impact will allow integrating the populations surrounding wetlands in direct management of resources. Among those activities we can mention good practicing of fishing because actually they practice fishing with inappropriate equipment like mosquito nets and toxic products. With such practices all young fishes die and consequently fishes disappear and all other small animals are killed because of those toxic products. Moreover this project will provide to the local community alternative to agriculture in wetlands and poaching by the distribution of goats will contribute to provide meat, manure used to fertilize soils and this will improve their standard of living. This will certainly contribute to the reduction of pressure to wetlands antelopes, hippopotamus, waterbirds and many other species.

This project will also contribute in a lasting way to food security and improvement of local populations’ health by preserving soils’ fertility. The need for population to invade the wetlands for agriculture purposes will decrease.

By training about Malagarazi wetlands biodiversity conservation, different well-targeted groups such as local administration, primary school pupils, fishermen, local community will be trained to a sustainable conservation of biodiversity in Malagarazi wetlands. They will be sensitized to problems related to environment and to the protection of wetlands. This will contribute to capacity building for a lasting conservation of biodiversity in that protected area.

For further information contact ebisous@yahoo.fr

Project Update: August 2011

The study on goods and services has already finished and we have already produced the training manual adapted to primary pupils.

The greatest news is that by the initiative of Burundi Nature Action-BNA (our NGO) the government of Burundi has recently adopted a decree project establishing Magalarazi wetlands boundaries as a protected area. It is an acheivement of our NGO (BNA) with support of EGP IUCN and CARPE/IUCN and of course Rufford. With these supports we have been able to lobby untill this decree has been adopted.


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