Planting resilience: Nature-based solutions in Burundi
As the rainy season approaches in Burundi, the deep gullies carved into Bujumbura's hillsides serve as a powerful reminder of what climate change looks like on the ground. Here, climate vulnerability is not an abstract concept-it is visible in every collapsed slope, flooded road, and eroded farm plot. Burundi is undergoing one of the fastest urbanization rates in East Africa, with an urban growth rate of 5.7 percent between 2000 and 2019. The population of Bujumbura is projected to exceed 4 million by 2045, according to the World Bank.
This rapid urban growth poses significant risks, especially as Burundi remains on the World Bank's Fragile and Conflict-Affected Situations (FCS) list and ranks among the poorest countries globally. Bujumbura, the capital, is particularly vulnerable: over half the city is prone to flooding, and in its most densely populated neighborhoods, more than 70 percent of residents are exposed to floodwaters from heavy rains and overflowing rivers. Unplanned expansion onto steep, erosion-prone hillsides further increases the risk of landslides and drainage system failures. These climate-related hazards frequently damage homes, destroy crops, and cut off access to essential services like schools, markets, and healthcare.
In response, the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) is working to scale up nature-based solutions (NbS) that already exist within local practices. These include reforestation of hillsides and the use of vegetation to stabilize slopes and reduce runoff. By identifying, strengthening, and expanding these context-specific approaches, GCA ensures that adaptation efforts are affordable, effective, and grounded in what already works-even in fragile and resource-constrained settings like Burundi.
To support Bujumbura's adaptation, the World Bank is implementing the Burundi Urban Resilience Project, with a total investment of US$120 million shaped by GCA's technical support. This project will fund climate-resilient infrastructure such as drainage systems, embankments, culverts, and flood retention basins. However, gray infrastructure alone is not enough-especially in a country where government resources are limited and communities often maintain their own surroundings. That's why GCA is working with the World Bank to complement these investments with NbS.
These green measures use plants, trees, and natural processes to protect land, slow water runoff, and strengthen the environment. In the hills around Bujumbura, NbS are already making a difference. One simple but powerful method involves planting Bana grass (Napier grass), a fast-growing plant that helps hold soil in place and reduces the risk of landslides and erosion. Its everyday value to the community-as livestock feed and construction material-makes it a sustainable solution that people are motivated to maintain long after a project ends.
Other plants like Caliandra and bamboo have also been introduced to stabilize slopes. Tree nurseries established by the project have made seedlings more accessible, and trees are now growing on both public and private land. These green measures are helping to hold the soil, reduce flooding, and improve farming conditions. Community involvement plays a crucial role in sustaining these efforts. During the dry season, each household maintains its own land, and local governments organize community walks to raise awareness and encourage people to clean roadside gutters and care for the trees. These small, repeated actions across neighborhoods contribute to a stronger, more climate-resilient city.
To guide future investments, GCA is preparing a Compendium of Nature-Based Solutions for Urban Resilience, focusing on soil and water management. This compendium will document practical, low-cost interventions already in use across Burundi-such as hillside reforestation, vegetated drainage channels, and community-managed wetlands-and offer guidance on integrating these nature-positive approaches into broader flood and erosion control strategies. A key principle is that these solutions provide co-benefits for local communities, including improved livelihoods, food security, and access to resources, which supports long-term maintenance and sustainability.
While many of these interventions align with formal NbS frameworks, GCA adopts a flexible approach-focusing less on strict criteria and more on scaling what works in fragile, resource-limited environments like Burundi. As part of this effort, a validation workshop for the NbS inventory was held in Bujumbura. Organized by OCA Global, the workshop brought together stakeholders from government, the World Bank, and the International Organization for Migration. The discussions ensured that the inventory reflects local realities and priorities, and helped build momentum for integrating NbS into ongoing and future investments.
A similar support package is being developed in four other countries across the Congo Basin-Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic, Gabon, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. In each country, the goal is to help governments and communities integrate nature-based approaches into climate adaptation efforts and share lessons learned across the region.
Climate change is already reshaping life in Burundi. But with the right mix of infrastructure and community-led solutions, adaptation is possible. Nature-based solutions-when rooted in local knowledge and supported by broader investments-are helping build a more resilient future from the ground up.