On 18 July, the LATAWAMA project, funded by the European Union and implemented by the Belgian development agency Enabel, and the Lake Tanganyika Authority, organized a visit of the project’s achievements at the Buterere wastewater treatment plant.  The representatives of the ministries in charge of the environment and infrastructure, as well as of the media, took part in this activity.

The activity started with a presentation of the main achievements of the project. The participants then went to the Buterere water treatment plant to see the project’s achievements.

Claude Bochu, the European Union ambassador to Burundi, said: “The European Union is committed to reducing pollution, strengthening biodiversity, and fighting against the effects of climate change in Burundi; the European Union finances several projects aimed at protecting the environment and fighting against climate change.

According to Enabel’s resident representative Abou El Mahassine Fassi-Fihri, Enabel is contributing to the preservation of the quality of the waters of Lake Tanganyika through the LATAWAMA project. This project aims to measure the quality of the waters of Lake Tanganyika not only in Bujumbura but in all the countries of the region.

“We need to collect data on the lake’s water quality on the four shores of the region. We need to make analyses to be able to present to the decision-makers the degree of pollution of the lake water. The second objective is to manage upstream and reduce the pollution that will flow into the lake. That is why we have taken on this wastewater treatment plant in Buterere,” he said.

Emmanuel Ndorimana, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Environment, Agriculture and Livestock appreciates the achievements of the Lake Tanganyika Water Management project: “We appreciate the accomplishments of this program for the solutions to the challenges we had before.

Elisabeth Ndayishimiye, Director of Equipment and Maintenance in the Ministry of Infrastructure, equipment, and social habitat also appreciates the project’s achievements: “Your interventions in the urban environment and sanitation sector have reduced environmental pressure in terms of domestic and urban wastewater management.

“The drying beds have been rehabilitated. Before we didn’t have enough space for sludges. We thank the European Union, the Belgian Development Agency, and the Lake Tanganyika Authority for this project,” said the Director of Environment, Hygiene, and Sanitation at Obuha Cléophas Bizabishaka.

The participants visited a laboratory at the Buterere wastewater treatment plant that has been rehabilitated and equipped. OBUHA received a supervision vehicle to improve the management of the Buterere wastewater treatment plant.

The project has rehabilitated the drying beds and will implement the sludge pumping system of the Buterere wastewater treatment plant.

The project is also digitizing the wastewater collection network. The Obuha laboratory has also been rehabilitated and equipped to monitor the plant’s treatment performance. As part of the development of the monitoring network, the project has rehabilitated and equipped the laboratory of the Office Burundian office for the protection of the environment.