Burundi gov't faced with challenge of controlling population growth

Burundi government is facing a challenge of controlling the country's population because 90 percent of the population live off their land, an official source said Tuesday during the opening of a workshop to discuss national population policy.

"Population control is a major challenge for Burundi. The government's response to this challenge is contained in pillar 5 of the Vision 2025 which aims to reduce population growth from 2.5 percent to 2 percent by the year 2025," Burundi Vice-President Joseph Butore said.

The other objectives of the government included reducing the fertility rate of every woman from six children in 2008 to three children in 2025, and accelerate the drop in mortality rate which will increase the lifespan from 49 years in 2008 to 60 years in 2025.

Butore said one of the strategies adopted was to invest in youth, especially by promoting family planing methods as well as improvement of reproductive health services.

He said population growth was exerting pressure on the country's meagre financial and natural resources as well as on the socio-economic infrastructures.

Butore illustrated the situation by noting that with a population density of 367 people per square kilometer, the average farming land had reduced from 1.04 hectares per household in 1973 to 0.5 hectares in 2009.

Burundi has also lost a considerable size of grazing lands as well as forest land, something that has resulted into land-related conflicts.

The vice-president noted that high population growth had resulted in multiplication of needs in sectors such as education, health and jobs for youths. Enditem