Burundi Is Losing Its Trees: How To Break Heavy Charcoal Use And Tree Clearing Through Climate Reforms

(MENAFN- The Conversation) Burundi faces serious climate and environmental challenges. The biggest is the country's overdependence on the use of biomass (firewood). The second is outdated agricultural practices that have led to deforestation. In turn this has increased the country's vulnerability to climate shocks.

A landlocked country on the north-eastern shores of Lake Tanganyika, Burundi is extremely poor, with 76% of the population living below the poverty line (US$2.15 per day) in 2023. It is also ranked the 22nd most vulnerable to climate change in the world.

Burundi produces very little CO2 (less than 0.02% of global greenhouse gas emissions). Its challenge is therefore less about reducing greenhouse gases and more about managing its vulnerability to climate change. The excessive use of biomass and deforestation make it more vulnerable to extreme weather events such as droughts and floods.

Burundi has a history of extreme events that are considered climate-related. It has experienced severe droughts, resulting in crop failure and a 35% livestock mortality (1998-2005), as well as severe floods in 2006 and 2007.

But the country hasn't developed a reliable climate change legal and regulatory framework to address the issues. It is struggling to balance strict climate regulations alongside promoting voluntary behavioural changes.

Burundians are reluctant to adopt climate-friendly energy and agricultural practices due to a combination of factors. These include unaffordability, entrenched cultural practices in favour of biomass use and an agricultural sector largely dependent on forest clearing.

As a law and climate change expert, I examined in a recent paper how the government of Burundi should approach the problems of biomass dependence and deforestation.

I set out how the government could increase voluntary compliance without threatening the livelihoods of poor, agrarian people. This requires a climate change regulatory system that is delicately balanced between appropriate coercion measures (“stick”) and sufficient encouragement and incentives (“carrot”).

I propose that the government use financial incentives to encourage households and farmers to transition to climate-friendly practices. At the same time it would need to put in place punitive tools to deter non-compliance with these climate goals.

But to achieve this, it first needs to put in place a legal and regulatory framework to underpin these measures. Achieving this would establish a road map for improving climate policies in other countries in the east central African region too.

From 2008 to 2021, Burundi's population increased from 8 million to 12 million. This led to higher demand for firewood and arable land. Deforestation causes irregular and excessive rainfall.

Households and farmers across the country are reluctant to adopt climate-friendly energy and agricultural practices, because of cost, cultural practices and farming practices.

For example, about 90% of rural Burundian households use three-stone fires – a simple arrangement on the ground to balance a pot above an open fire. Nearly all (99%) of households use solid fuels like wood and charcoal as their primary fuel for cooking. Less than 2% of the population is estimated to have access to improved cookstoves which emit less smoke.

The agricultural sector is very heavily dependent on forest clearing. In 2020, Burundi had 465,000 hectares of natural forest , extending over 17% of its land area. In 2023, it lost 2,350 hectares of natural forest.

The“carrot and stick” model would use tools designed to restrict the use of biomass. For example, households and farmers that rely on biomass could be fined or their land could be seized.

Simultaneously, the government would need to provide generous economic and financial tools for households and agricultural entities. These could include grants, tax relief on agricultural products, interest-free loans, compensation and grant schemes.

I argue that combining these tools within a single regulatory framework would persuade stakeholders to move away from activities that have a climate impact, towards cleaner energy sources. This is an innovative idea for climate change regulation, drawing from experience in other sectors in developing countries.

The approach creates a synergy between punishment and persuasion. But it requires a legal basis.

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Given the gaps in Burundi's current climate change legal framework, reform should encompass three steps. The government needs to:

• enact climate legislation

• establish a climate change regulator

• institute economic incentives for climate-friendly activities and practices.

These steps are interlinked. But the first is the most fundamental, as it creates the foundation for the climate change legal framework and regulates all activities and practices within the climate change sector. It equally provides a legal basis for the“carrot and stick” approach.

A legal framework would allow Burundi to:

• put in place punitive instruments

• establish a climate regulator to enforce climate control measures

• create the mechanisms to provide payments and incentives to individuals, households and agricultural entities to move to cleaner energy sources. These could include buying cleaner energy appliances and modern farming tools. Payments could also be made to compensate for loss of earnings or reduced agricultural products that may arise in the initial phases of implementing climate-friendly practices.

• protect the climate rights of indigenous and marginalised groups. These include access to cleaner energy sources and financial grants. Also, the right to participation in climate decision making, the right to access information, and the right to justice and remedies.

Climate change legislation would also:

• enable Burundi's international climate change obligations under the Paris Agreement to be put into domestic law

• introduce accountability for climate change measures adopted by the government

• ensure legislative oversight on government activities in the sector.

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The proposed reform of Burundi's climate change legal framework has wider application to most of the countries in the region: Uganda, Rwanda, DR Congo, Zambia, Central African Republic and Malawi. All are predominantly agricultural-based economies and biomass-dependant for their energy needs.

These countries have similar climate change challenges based on the same factors plaguing Burundi. In my view all would benefit from a“carrot and stick” approach.

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