Bujumbura, Burundi, 8 September 2026 – Burundi has taken another step towards developing its national Biodiversity Finance Plan, convening the first joint meeting of the project’s Steering Committee and Technical Committee at the UNDP office in Bujumbura.

Officially established by the Government of Burundi, the two committees will guide and support the country’s work under UNDP’s Biodiversity Finance Initiative (UNDP BIOFIN). Their first meeting brought together representatives of government ministries, financial institutions, the private sector, civil society, academia and development partners.

The participation of institutions from across government and society reflects the collaborative approach required to finance biodiversity effectively. Biodiversity Finance Plans bring finance and environment ministries together with other public institutions, businesses, financial organizations and civil society to identify practical ways of mobilizing, improving and aligning finance for national biodiversity priorities.

Building the foundations for biodiversity finance

Burundi joined UNDP BIOFIN in 2024 and has since begun undertaking the assessments that will inform its Biodiversity Finance Plan.

The country’s Policy and Institutional Review is nearing completion. The review examines the policies, institutions and economic sectors that influence biodiversity financing and identifies opportunities to improve how finance for nature is managed.

Several preliminary finance opportunities have emerged from this work. These include strengthening the National Forest Fund, exploring green fiscal reforms and developing payments for ecosystem services. The potential solutions will be further assessed and prioritized as Burundi develops its Biodiversity Finance Plan.

Work is also underway on the Biodiversity Expenditure Review, which examines how much is currently being spent on biodiversity and where this funding comes from, and the Financial Needs Assessment, which will estimate the resources required to implement the country’s biodiversity priorities. Draft reports from the two assessments are expected by the end of September 2026.

Nearly 350 stakeholders from government, civil society, non-governmental organizations, the private sector and financial institutions have been engaged in consultations under the BIOFIN process. Women’s participation has exceeded 49 percent across the national workshops held to date.

Strengthening national coordination

The Steering Committee will provide strategic direction, ensure that the BIOFIN process remains aligned with national priorities and validate its principal outputs. The Technical Committee will provide technical guidance and support the day-to-day implementation of activities.

During their first joint meeting, members reviewed the progress achieved, discussed the emerging finance opportunities and agreed on the next stages of the process.

The committees will help ensure that the Biodiversity Finance Plan is developed through an inclusive and nationally owned process and that its proposed solutions can be integrated into government policies, planning and budgeting.

From assessment to implementation

Burundi’s work contributes to Target 19 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which calls for a substantial and progressive increase in financial resources for biodiversity from all sources. National biodiversity finance plans and similar instruments can help countries determine how these resources can be mobilized and used more effectively.

The process also supports the implementation of Burundi’s National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan for 2026–2030 by connecting the country’s biodiversity objectives with practical financing mechanisms.

The next steps agreed by the committees include:

• finalizing and validating the Policy and Institutional Review, Biodiversity Expenditure Review and Financial Needs Assessment between September and December 2026;
• developing Burundi’s Biodiversity Finance Plan by June 2027; and
• beginning the implementation of priority finance solutions in 2027.

By establishing a strong governance structure and advancing the national assessments, Burundi is laying the foundations for a coordinated approach to financing the protection, sustainable use and restoration of its biodiversity.