Burundi: How Groundwater is Revolutionizing Market Gardening

Burundi: How Groundwater is Revolutionizing Market Gardening

By Ferdinand Mbonihankuye

“I can farm year-round, not only in marshlands but also on hillsides during the dry season, thanks to groundwater irrigation,” says Audace Ngendakumana, a farmer from Mukoro Hill in Burundi’s Bugendana Commune.

Local vegetable farmers like Ngendakumana now get water for irrigation from a borehole established in their community to improve living standards. 

A person pouring water into a bucket

Description automatically generated
Game changer: The community groundwater project that is transforming lives

In Bugendana, the benefits of groundwater irrigation extend far beyond small home gardens. Once limited to small-scale vegetable farming during the dry season, agricultural ventures are now evolving into commercial large-scale farming operations. “We grow tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, and squash during the dry season and sell them. Vegetables are highly profitable, especially in the dry season, boosting our income,” explains Elysé Ndereyimana, a farmer from Kamonyi Hill in the Kiriba zone, Giheta Commune.

In Mukoro farmers now grow sweet potatoes between June and September or maize during the dry season, a feat previously unimaginable. “It’s no longer just a farm; it’s a genuine source of prosperity,” testifies Ngendakumana, as he inspects his maturing tomato garden. 

image 9
Vegetable gardens like this are possible because of irrigation by groundwater

Irrigation not only helps farmers diversify crops but also ensures continuous availability of jobs throughout the year. “There’s no shortage of work, even in the dry season. Young people no longer need to leave in search of jobs elsewhere. We farm year-round, which brings stability,” asserts Berchmans Hakizimana, a local official.

According to Hakizimana, irrigation is proving to be a crucial driver of resilience and social inclusion. “It reduces dependence on rainfall, stabilizes agricultural yields, and improves food security, even during the dry season. It also fosters the inclusion of vulnerable groups, such as women and youth, while strengthening community solidarity and reducing inequalities in access to agricultural resources,” he explains.

In Mungwa, for instance, a system supplies water to 1,347 households, a school, and a church, reducing distances of up to five kilometres to access water. “These infrastructures, integrated into a beautiful landscape, not only provide easier water access but also reduce the exorbitant costs previously spent on water transported from other localities,” elaborates Aristide Nzogirukwayo, Head of the Gitega City Sector.

Audace Ngendakumana is proud of the profits from his farm. He says that the profit from his vegetable garden in the four dry season months of this year was 300,000 BIF (about 103.12 USD). 

The benefits extend beyond the fields. Goreth Hakizimana, a farmer from Kamonyi Hill, recounts, “With groundwater, I save 15,000 BIF (5.15 USD) a day that I used to spend on watering my crops.”

By reducing the distance to irrigation water—from three kilometres to 50 meters, Goreth says that they now save time, energy, and money, and this allows people to focus more on farming- leading to increased productivity and income. 

Beyond productivity, families also benefit. “I can buy clothes for my children and provide them with a balanced diet,” Goreth highlights.

groundwater
A farmer inspecting her garden. With improved access to water, women who used to spend much time to fetch water are now more engaged in agriculture.

Establishing a life-changing project is not the end. Many projects struggle to live beyond the early short-term years.     

To ensure sustainability, Amazi Water- the organization behind the establishment of the borehole has established water point management committees and offered training in basic maintenance and hygiene practices, says Clovis Nkunzimana, Regional Manager for Central-East Amazi Water. 

According to Burundi’s Third National Communication on Climate Change, agricultural production has declined over the past decade due to the complete or partial destruction of fields. Prolonged drought primarily affects provinces like Kirundo, while excessive rainfall leads to massive crop destruction in the Imbo plains or lowlands of the central plateaus.

These climatic events not only devastate fields but also exacerbate soil degradation, threatening the land’s regenerative capacity. Consequently, food insecurity intensifies, affecting an increasing number of households, the report states.

However, the technical report of the Nile Basin Initiative shows that the unconfined aquifer in the Kagera Basin that spans approximately 6,300 km² remains underutilized. 

This aquifer covers parts of Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. 

image
The extent of the Kagera Aquifer

It has an estimated storage capacity of about 50 billion m³, while the current groundwater withdrawal for domestic water supply is estimated at 3.25 million m³/year.

Dr. Abel Nsabimana, a geographer specializing in hydrology and groundwater quality opines that the abundant groundwater in the Kagera Basin could be harnessed not only for drinking water supply but also for agriculture. 

“Farmers can utilize groundwater without fear of depletion to irrigate crops during the dry season and droughts, increasing agricultural production and mitigating food insecurity,” Nsabimana explains. 

He however emphasizes that groundwater exploitation requires significant investments, such as deep drilling reaching several hundred meters.

This story was produced with support from NBI Secretariat (Nile-Sec), which, in partnership with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and with funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), implemented a program across the Nile Basin focused on shared groundwater aquifers. The project’s goal was to improve water resource management at both the national and basin levels.

The first phase concentrated on building knowledge and capacity for the sustainable use and management of significant transboundary aquifers within the Nile Basin. Three aquifer areas were selected for intervention: the Kagera aquifer shared by Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Burundi; the Mt Elgon aquifer shared by Uganda and Kenya; and the Gedaref-Adigrat aquifer shared by Sudan and Ethiopia. These aquifers are located in various climates, including arid, semi-arid, and tropical regions.

Initially, the phase involved gathering existing data and creating a Shared Aquifer Diagnostic Report (SADA) for the three selected aquifers. The subsequent phase engaged in groundwater modeling to enhance understanding of the aquifers and analyze scenarios based on changes in climate and groundwater use.

Like this article?

Share on Facebook
Share on Twitter
Share on Linkedin
Share on Pinterest
Share on Telegram
Share on WhatsApp

Leave a comment

Related Posts