Bururi forest

The Government of Burundi"s (GOB) Department of Water and Forests (DWF) will implement the project, which focuses on tree plantings, strengthening the DWF"s forest management ability, and promoting conservation among area inhabitants. A ring of 1,100 ha of trees (comprising 2.25 million plantings) will be planted around the remaining natural forest in order to conserve the flora, protect the water table, reduce erosion, and help prevent flooding of the Mirembwe River. Species to be planted include: 400 ha of Callitris, which will yield 1.6 cubic meters (CM"s) of wood per ha after 8 years; 100 ha of Grevellia, 300 ha of pine, and 200 ha of Cupressus, each of which will yield 12 CM"s per ha after 12 years; and 100 ha of eucalyptus, which will yield 13 CM"s per ha after 8 years. Another 100 ha of local species will be planted to fill in cleared areas within the forest itself. In addition, 300 ha of eucalyptus will be planted in private and communal forests using seedlings produced in a project nursery and distributed by extensionists. Employment in nurseries and plantation is expected to provide cash income to up to 400 local people. While wood production is increased, consumption will be decreased by an extension effort to teach area inhabitants how to obtain, plant, and care for seedlings provided by the project and to instill in them a conservationist attitude; and by the introduction of 4,000 inexpensivet, fuel-efficient cookstoves - expected to reduce consumption by 70 ha per year - for use by area women, thus freeing them for more productive activities. Finally, the DWF"s forest management capability will be upgraded by 22 person-months of technical assistance and by a study tour which will take two DWF officials to countries such as India and the Philippines where they can observe participatory, integrated forestry-energy programs; seeds of fast-growing tree species brought back from these tours will be used in ongoing growth trials to help solve Burundi"s fuelwood crisis.