Over 60,000 Burundian families were affected by climate change disasters in 2019
The Briefing Issue #36, Wednesday, January 12, 2020
Dear Readers,
This Wednesday, the deputy director-general of civil protection in Burundi told Radio Isanganiro’s Journalist that over 461 people have died from the heavy rains that have hit several localities in Burundi since October 2019.
"From last October to the present, we have already registered 461 dead, 12,000 houses destroyed and 16,000 people displaced by the rains," He said
In 2019, more than 60,000 families were affected by climate change disasters, according to the Ministry of Human Rights and Social Affairs.
According to forecasts by the Geographical Institute of Burundi (IGEBU), heavy rains will continue to hit Burundi for the next three months ( In Burundi, normally the rainy season extends from October to June.) Mr. Anicet Nibaruta advised the population to take precautions to avoid dramatic situations.
Likewise, the highest temperatures will be observed, notes the IGEBU’s statement on seasonal forecast published Tuesday, February 11.
Mr. Nibaruta said that preparatory actions taken include updating the provincial and municipal contingency plans, drawing up a map of areas at risk, monitoring and continuing the intensive reforestation actions through the national program "Ewe Burundi urambaye ".
The effects of climate change such as rising temperature and changes in precipitation are undeniably clear with impacts already affecting ecosystems, biodiversity, and people.
According to Climate Change Profile, globally Burundi has the lowest per capita GHG (Greenhouse gas) emissions, ranking 188 out of 188 countries and contributing only 0.01% to global emissions.
However, it is highly vulnerable to global climate change. Burundi ranks 171 out of 181 countries in the ND-GAIN index7 (2016) for climate vulnerability.
It is the 14th most vulnerable country and is the 17th least ready country– meaning that it is extremely vulnerable to, yet very unready to combat climate change effects.
Vulnerability measures the country’s exposure, sensitivity, and ability to cope with the negative effects of climate change by considering vulnerability in six life-supporting sectors: food, water, ecosystem service, health, human habitat, and infrastructure.
Readiness measures a country’s ability to leverage investments and convert them to adaptation actions by considering economic, governance and social readiness.
THE GUEST OF THE WEEK
RegionWeek Team receives the East Africa Community Secretary-General, Ambassador Libérat Mfumukeko, as our Guest. We recently did with him an Exclusive Interview in Bujumbura, Burundi, and we will share with you the discussions we had about issues that matter in the region and walk you through the whole interview gradually. Make sure to subscribe and to keep abreast of our Newsletter.
RegionWeek: Inconsistency and irregularities in Annual contributions to the East African Community block are some of the great challenges in EAC. What are the strategies that member states can put in place to assure consistent and regular contributions?
Secretary-General: Well, the situation is that contributions are not coming on time but lately; and when they come later, of course, there is a hindrance to implementation for some activities.
But I stand to clarify that all contributions from our EAC member states are coming every month, generally between 20 and 25 of every month on time, and are being received monthly.
The overall percentage of contributions is not very bad; we have experienced late payments, but the overall contributions have topped around 65% and 81% percent of the contributions from the EAC member states.
In addition, this challenge of late contributions has been really discussed extensively. For instance, Burundi country is undergoing some problems and woes due to the 2015 crisis…the EAC understands this, and the EAC understands that there are major unpaid fees by EAC member states although East African Community has had major funding mechanisms to mitigate this problem of unpaid fees from the EAC member states.
RegionWeek: How does the EAC handle internal conflicts, how Burundi-Rwanda(frosty ties between Gitega and Kigali) and Uganda-Rwanda(Gatuna border closure) conflicts are being tackled?
Secretary-General: Well, the community has many platforms to handle the conflicts and problems between member states of the EAC. The main platforms are here to solve these internal issues. They are being resolved through diplomatic means.
Therefore, nations do not have necessarily the same background, so it is like in a family, anytime sometimes brothers and sisters may quarrel.
We know that, actually, this is part of the integration— that is to say, that originally people present differences and —integration helps settle these divergences and some conflicts.
The issues between countries and EAC have really been handled at every meeting and they are getting results through diplomatic channels. We have a sober approach. I also concert with the ministers— individually and with the presidents.
For example, I have had the opportunity to discuss one on one with the president Nkurunziza and we are talking about the issues that they have with Rwanda. Last year in November, exactly on November 17— I met with President Kagame in Kigali and we talked again about the relations between the two countries.
Therefore, some signs of progress are being made. Diplomacy and all of us are working towards the resolution of issues between Burundi and Rwanda. We had a similar approach on the issues which have been sometimes shown and portrayed in the media or the issue between Rwanda and Uganda so, it is important to know that regardless the issues we're talking about, our ministers, our senior officials, our permanent secretaries meet on a regular basis to discuss customs issues, common market.
RegionWeek: Moving goods within the region has always had some hindrances, what are the main causes, what is being done about it?
Secretary-General: Well, there are many reasons why the movement of goods, which is in our common market pillar, has to account for a number of problems.
Years ago, we were operating under very different standards. Our laws were not in harmony. There were so many trade-related matters. The differences in standards were actually one of the problems.
We worked at harmonizing the rules and laws. We have been working on infrastructure. The community is engaged in an extensive program of building routes that ease moving goods from one country to another.
One of some examples may include a road from Mombasa to Tanzania. We are now starting the new road between Tanzania and Burundi that is through Manyovu, Kasulu, Nyanza-lac And Rumonge, and Bujumbura.
We are also building another highway between Tanzania and Uganda, which will go through the Mutukura border. We are also working on securing funding for all the roads connecting Tanzania and Rwanda.
We are working on the feasibility studies for railway projects, which would connect most of our countries and the first section between Mombasa and Nairobi has been completed.
If you compare with five to ten years ago, now moving goods from Mombasa to Kigali, Kampala to Kigali, to Burundi is really taking a much shorter period compared than it did before.
Overall, in the community, we know we can move goods from the Indian Ocean, whether it is from Mombasa or from Dar Es Salaam to Burundi within one week before it used to take sometimes up to 21 to 30 days.
We have been working on customs procedures. We worked with countries to make sure that their immigration offices and customs offices are moving towards a single customs territory.
In tomorrow’s Issue, the EAC Secretary-General, Amb. Libérat Mfumukeko will answer the following questions:
Young people are the majority of the population of the EAC block, what are the major programs that target this demographic growth and what is the impact so far?
There have been complaints that Burundians are losing out when it comes to getting the EAC jobs since the English language is required, when will this language barrier be dealt with to help Burundian job seekers to be well fitted into the EAC job market?
Tanzania, Burundi alongside the UN Refugees Agency, UNHCR, are sensitizing all Burundian refugees living in Tanzania to repatriate. Nevertheless, some Human Rights Organization are still saying that repatriation is not voluntary but forced repatriation; can you clarify about this point as the East African Secretary-General?
IN THE HEADLINES
Burundi Council of Ministers: Management of natural disasters, Burundi National Police Hospital
Burundi council of Ministers was held on February 12, 2020, at the newly-inaugurated presidential palace, codenamed Ntare House under the chairmanship of Burundi Head of State, Pierre Nkrunziza
Here are the main points that were analyzed by the Burundi Council of Ministers
The construction of the National Police Hospital: This was the first Draft decree analyzed by Burundi Council of Ministers. The draft decree revises the decree No 100/39 of February 17, 2017, on the creation, organization, and functioning of the hospital of the National Police of Burundi.
This multi-million Chinese-sponsored project will help the Burundi government to build a new modern hospital which will mostly be under the care of the National Police. It should be remembered that Burundi had on the place the Military Hospital premises built in Bujumbura, Gihosha zone.
The Draft decree for the creation of the Special Funds and the Management of Disasters presented by Burundi Minister of Security and Management of Natural Disasters, Alain Guillaume Bunyoni.
The natural disasters have been wreaking havoc on Burundi’s economy and society. Recent and sometimes ongoing heavy rains are hampering the well-being of Burundians. Bujumbura town is the most hit by these natural disasters and some parts of the country hit by landslides due to heavy rainfalls.
Observers note that the natural disasters led to deaths either due to the people’s failure to heed the forewarning and anarchic constructions in dangerous zones and regions were heavy rain waters sometimes overflow the river banks and destroy houses and crops.
The draft law fixing the availability of the indemnities for the President of the Republic, the Vice-President of the Republic, the Prime Minister and other members of the government as well as their regime of incompatibilities and social security.
This draft law for indemnities for high officials in the government may be the continuation of the bill signed by Burundi MPs to honor President Nkurunziza after his stepping down as Burundi Head of State in August 2020.
Burundi MPs have already signed a bill to give Burundi outgoing head of State, Pierre Nkurunziza. Burundi government agreed to give him the ‘golden parachute’ of around 350 million dollars and a luxury villa to built where he will choose.
The project to create the Investment and Development Bank for Women, BIDF, was also analyzed. This will be fitted into the National Development Plan when the Burundi government is determined to reduce the poverty among Burundians by late 2027.
Bank for Women and Bank for Youth have been touted by Burundi gov’t to help this part of Burundi’s population left behind when it comes to getting fitted into the nowadays job market.
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