Association Burundaise pour la protection de la Nature

The Association Burundaise pour la protection de la Nature (ABN) is a Burundian non-profit association (ASBL) focused on the conservation of the country's natural environment and biodiversity. It was officially recognised on 8 April 2000 by ministerial ordinance as the Association Burundaise pour la protection des Oiseaux (ABO), an organisation initially dedicated to bird protection. In 2013 it changed its name to ABN to reflect a broader mandate covering all components of the natural environment. ABN is a member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and serves as the BirdLife International partner in Burundi. The organisation works primarily in and around key protected areas such as Kibira National Park and the Rusizi Nature Reserve, combining biodiversity conservation with efforts to improve the livelihoods of surrounding communities through participatory approaches. Its activities include habitat restoration, agroforestry, climate change adaptation, and monitoring of Important Bird Areas. ABN has published annual reports on the status and trends of Burundi's Important Bird Areas and has conducted research on biodiversity policy and ecosystem-based adaptation. ABN operates as a non-governmental, non-profit organisation under Burundian law. Its highest decision-making body is the General Assembly, which elects the president. Day-to-day activities are led by a coordination office headed by a national coordinator, with a coordination council between the General Assembly and the coordinator. The organisation collaborates with international partners including BirdLife International, IUCN, the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF), the MacArthur Foundation, and The Nature Conservancy, as well as regional BirdLife partners in Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The Association Burundaise pour la protection de la Nature (ABN) was legally recognised on 8 April 2000 by Ministerial Ordinance No. 530/231 of the Ministry of the Interior, as a non-profit association (ASBL) under Decree-Law No. 1/11 of 18 April 1992. At its founding it was named Association Burundaise pour la protection des Oiseaux (ABO), reflecting an initial focus on bird conservation. From the outset, ABO worked with communities living near major national protected areas to involve them in biodiversity conservation. One of its early notable projects, from 2003 to 2006, targeted the indigenous Batwa people living in the northern part of Kibira National Park, integrating conservation with local community concerns. Over the years, the organisation broadened its scope from birds to the natural environment as a whole. On 7 September 2013, an extraordinary general assembly unanimously decided to change the name to Association Burundaise pour la protection de la Nature (ABN), a change intended to better reflect its mission to conserve all components of the natural environment. ABN has been a member of IUCN since 2005 and is the BirdLife International partner in Burundi. It has implemented projects funded by various international donors, including the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) for work around Kibira National Park, and the Climate-Resilient Altitudinal Gradients (CRAG) project from 2017 to 2020, funded by the MacArthur Foundation and The Nature Conservancy, which focused on participatory climate change adaptation in the Lake Tanganyika basin. The organisation has also published annual reports on the status and trends of Burundi's Important Bird Areas and conducted studies on biodiversity policy and ecosystem-based adaptation.

• 2017

  Launched the CRAG climate change adaptation project in Burundi (2017–2020).

• 2013

  Extraordinary general assembly unanimously changed the name to Association Burundaise pour la protection de la Nature (ABN).

• 2005

  Became a member of IUCN.

• 2003

  Started a conservation project targeting the Batwa people in northern Kibira National Park (2003–2006).

• 2000

  Officially recognised as Association Burundaise pour la protection des Oiseaux (ABO) by ministerial ordinance.

Participatory conservation organisation working with local communities to conserve Burundi's biodiversity and natural resources.

• Annual Important Bird Areas status reports

  Reports on the status and trends of Burundi's Important Bird Areas, published in 2008, 2009, 2010, etc.

• Important Bird Areas map collection (2008)

  A collection of maps of Important Bird Areas in Burundi.

• Research on biodiversity policy and legislation (2005–2007)

  Studies on policies and legal frameworks related to biodiversity conservation.

• Analysis on integration of ecosystem-based adaptation (2010–2015)

  Analysis on integrating ecosystem-based adaptation to climate change.

1. 1Accueilabn.bi
2. 2Association Burundaise pour la protection de la Nature - Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3ブルンジ自然保護協会 - Wikipediaja.wikipedia.org