Integration of freshwater biodiversity in the development process throughout Africa; mobilizing information and site demonstrations: Rusizi Demonstration Site Component IUCN Project No. 76458-009 Finalized by the Invasive Species Initiative during 2009, 2010 The IUCN project 76458-000 was initiated in 2005 and covered four demonstration sites, one of which, the Rusizi River Floodplain and Delta in Burundi and DRC, was managed by the Water/wetlands and Biodiversity team of the (then) Eastern Arica Regional Programme of IUCN. During 2008 and early 2009, the main members of this team left IUCN, reporting in detail on their activities. In 2009 activities in the Rusizi River demonstration site were taken over by the Invasive Species Initiative (part of the IUCN Global Species Programme, but based in the Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office of IUCN in Nairobi, Kenya. This Initiative had already some knowledge and experience of the floodplain and delta and Lake Tanganyika and so was able to finalise the expected outputs of the project during 2009 and 2010. The deltaic form of the outlet of the Rusizi River into Lake Tanganyika is a permanent tropical inland delta, renowned for its biodiversity - which includes impressive resident and migratory bird faunae (130 and 90 species respectively), a rich endemic fish fauna (90 species), a specialized plant flora (190 species) as well as hippopotamus, viverrids, antelopes, small mammals, African Crocodiles, varanid and smaller lizards, snakes and amphibia. The Rusizi floodplain, upstream of the delta is also of great regional importance as it supports the livelihoods of tens of thousands of Burundian and Congolese people who cultivate, fish, graze cattle and harvest wetland products – as well as harboring an important biodiversity of a Central African floodplain in the Western (Albertine) Rift Valley. However, conflicts have erupted over natural resource use and current resource use patterns are proving to be unsustainable. The main reason is thought to be lack of awareness of the globally important wetland resources of the Rusizi floodplain, delta and adjacent littoral zone. These wetland resources are currently increasingly being exploited as a result of the ever-increasing human population and economic pressures. Reviews have shown that loss and degradation of habitat, sedimentation due to deforestation, eutrophication, inappropriate introduction of alien species that have become invasive, excessive water withdrawal, overexploitation of riparian and woodland resources, and pollution are the leading causes of fresh water species decline. These threats stem from the ever increasing demand for goods and services by the human population. Furthermore, owing to civil insecurity in both Bujumbura and Uvira, refugees have put an enormous pressure on the fisheries, forest and wetland resources of the (former) Rusizi National Park thus its downgrading from a national park to a nature reserve (which allows for some human activities).There is little or no coordinated management of the Rusizi floodplain, delta and adjacent littoral zone at the national level and transboundary level (it is shared by Burundi and DR Congo) and as a result, current resource-use practices are not sustainable. It has been acknowledged that this is a problem and help was sought. 1 The governments of Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo, with funding from the European Commission and technical assistance from IUCN (the World Conservation Union), began a project to sustain the important ecosystem functions of the Rusizi Delta and floodplain in January 2005. Several project objectives have been realized since then and these include biodiversity field studies to address management questions (1 st and 2 nd quarter, 2005), popularization of the status and distribution of biodiversity in Eastern Africa (3 rd and 4 th quarter, 2005) whereby the project went a step further and gathered species information, that were then subjected to the IUCN Red Listing process to determine their threatened status and the analysis of new freshwater biodiversity data both nationally and regionally (1 st and 2 nd quarter, 2007). This study has assisted in priority setting exercises for species conservation, demonstrated the great importance of the Rusizi river, its floodplain and delta as valuable and vulnerable ecosystems important for biodiversity conservation and human welfare. IUCN also assisted Burundi in developing a management plan for the Rusizi Delta Ramsar site and a national capacity for wetland management planning in order to conserve and promote sustainable use of freshwater biodiversity. Two of the team members, the Regional Programme Coordinator and the Technical Coordinator Biodiversity and Species left IUCN and the responsibility was then handed to the Global Invasive Species Initiative under the IUCN Species Programme whose main task was to use the project findings to influence management processes while involving the key project partners and producing awareness materials for both the public and the key decision-makers. The awareness campaign was launched to enlighten communities, resource managers and decision makers of the important biodiversity values in the Rusizi floodplain, delta and adjacent littoral zone in line with the purpose of this study which was to demonstrate the process of applying biodiversity information in development plans in order to sustain the important ecosystem functions of the Rusizi Delta and river system and the livelihoods that depend upon them. A visit to the pilot site in October 2009 was made in order to meet with relevant government and non-government entities involved and interested in accomplishing or realizing the project goals. The meeting with Association Burundaise pour la protection des Oiseaux (ABO) at their offices was very fruitful and resulted in acquisition of the ABO publication of November 2008 “ Zones Importantes de Conservation des Oiseaux au Burundi ” which includes a chapter on the Rusizi Nature Reserve and the waterbirds recorded there, including some red list data. ABO, Association Ceinture Verte pour Environnement (ACVE) were very positive of the process, discussed the work on Civil Society in the Rusizi Area as well as economic activities that have been happening in the reserve (poaching and agriculture). Discussions were also carried out with a representative of BirdLife International Africa, met at the ABO office about the red listing process in the Rusizi Nature Reserve. ACVE (Greenbelt) reported that they had not done any species assessments in the NR but had been planting trees there and assessing the use of the NR resources by local communities in and near the Reserve. In addition, another local NGO, Association Herpetologique et Environnement (AHEB) had attempted to rehabilitate some parts of the Rusizi Reserve and were also working with women in NRM associated with Rusizi. A consortium of NGOs was working on a peri-urban landscape near Bujumbura (around the Ntahangwa River corridor. The NGOs concerned registered their interest in participating in the 2 distribution of any awareness materials coming out of the Rusizi Pilot Site project and to support any policy briefs that might be developed – provided that there was some consultation on details. A visit was also made to the Ministry of Water, Environment, Management of Territories and Urbanisation (MEAU). This was largely a courtesy call as the relevant interaction was with INECN and the Rusizi Nature Reserve Authority who were helpful with data and survey of the Nature Reserve. The Chef de la Reserve Naturelle de la Rusizi pointed out that the delta part of the reserve had once been connected to the Palmerie (the “palm forest” of Hyphaenae petersiana ) by a natural corridor, but that this had been encroached upon by farms, livestock and settlements such that the area of the palm forest is now separated from the delta. During the same visit, discussions were also held with the Directeur Exécutif, Directeur de l'Environnement and the Conseillére Technique pour l'Environnement, all of Lake Tanganyika Authority (LTA). More on the trip can be found in the trip report October 2009 below. After all findings and recommendations were related to the Lake Tanganyika Authority it was agreed that the next step for the Rusizi Pilot Site last phase was to develop messages to show the importance of the biodiversity of the Rusizi River and floodplain. This is what happened approximately six months later. LTA played an important role in the approval of posters and pamphlets to ensure compliance with LTA policies, practices and relevance to the host government. Further to this, they also recommended an efficient translator for the documents to be translated into French. The publications include two posters, a leaflet and most importantly, a policy brief. The posters (attached at the end of the report) had the following messages: Biological diversity provides quite a number of goods and services important in sustaining our lives It is in our own interest that we need to protect biological diversity, as the core of our own life support system Conservation actions need to be directed at a number of species in the Rusizi floodplain and delta which are seriously threatened with extinction All is not lost on the DRC side of the floodplain and more effort should be directed at reviving the nature reserve on that side When planning to use land - for agriculture, livestock grazing and new housing plots, conservation areas