In fact, according to specialists in the area and the administrative authorities in the commune, more than 40% of the Busoni population use water fetched from the lakes Cohoha, Rwero and Gacamirindi which are found in the north of the commune. In his speech to the population in the area, in the presence of the ministers in charge of water and home affairs, the first secretary at the German Embassy in Burundi, M. Mickael Bartholomei, reminded that water and sanitation remain the priority pole of German cooperation in Burundi. During his visit in Burundi in December 2011, the German federal Minister, M. Niebel, guaranteed reservation of funds for the next period. This is about the financial cooperation whose amount is €15 million while the total for technical cooperation is € 5.5 million distributed between the sectoral programme Potable Water and Sanitation with € 4 million and management and protection of groundwater resource has a budget of € 1.5 million.

About the Province of Kirundo facing the shortage of potable water, the first secretary at the German Embassy in Burundi acknowledged the actions conducted by the German action in the areas of water and sanitation, while recalling the KFW investments in constructing latrines and sinking. He expressed his wish to see the Government of Burundi and the technical and financial partners progressing together through a strong partnership, to take commitment to a coordinated and sustainable development of the water and sanitation areas.

About activities accomplished during the celebration on the World Water Day, the ministers of Environment and Home Affairs, the Governor of Kirundo, the first secretary at the German Embassy in Burundi planted “grevilea” trees on Cohoha shores at Rwibikara area for protecting cultivable lands as it is known that grevilea is well associated with crops. It should be mentioned that at global level, this Day was celebrated under the theme “Water and food security”. The Lake Tanganyika Authority has been represented by Director of Environment

For him, if nothing is done in terms of protection, Lake Tanganyika can become an unusable pond. He called on all Burundians to act for the protection of this important aquatic ecosystem. Mr. Toyi also mentioned that the Burundi Government is committed to protecting the lake by promulgating the Water Code and the National Strategy for Sustainable Tourism Development in Burundi. He recalled that people should avoid throwing waste of any kind in this lake, which, after all, is not a public dumping ground, and instead, promote rational fisheries.

Dr. Henry Mwima, the Executive Director of Lake Tanganyika Authority (LTA) has recognized the efforts made by Burundi in protecting the lake and appealed to other Lake Tanganyika riparian countries (DRC, Tanzania and Zambia) to emulate the example set by the Government of the Republic of Burundi by setting aside one day to celebrate the unique and shared heritage: Lake Tanganyika. Mr. Mwima however informed that the problems to be solved for the protection of this lake include climate change, invasive species, sedimentation, overexploitation of natural resources, habitat destruction and pollution.

 In addition, Mr. Albert Mbonerane, the Legal Representative of ACVE (Green Belt Action for Environment), noted that Burundi was the first Lake Tanganyika riparian country to ratify in 2004, the Convention on Sustainable Management of Lake Tanganyika and to organise in 2005, the celebration of the national day dedicated to this lake. He took this opportunity to recommend a better implementation of the Water Code by users and investors in the sector of water.

However, it was noted that the shoreline of Lake Tanganyika is seriously threatened by pollution from riparian cities, particularly in Bujumbura, at the place called "Ku mase". During a visit along the Lake Tanganyika shore, held on Friday 20^th July, people were forced to hold their noses to avoid unpleasant odours caused by domestic wastewater flowing to the lake, and blackening the water and the silver sand on the beach.

Participants to this visit organised as part of the celebration of the day, also remarked that in some places along the lake, as in Gitaza, Bujumbura Rural province (in the west) and Magara, in Bururi province (in southwest), uncontrolled constructions threaten the protection zone of 150 meters from the lake as stated in the Water Code and some palm oil processing units visited in Rumonge, Bururi province, do not pre-treat their liquid waste before discharging them into the lake. However, some hotels located near the lake as "Blue Bay" in Rumonge, took into account the environmental aspect and comply with the standards in relation to beach management. For this, many tourists are coming to rest on the picturesque beach and enjoy swimming in the clean waters of Lake Tanganyika.

The Minister of Water, Environment, Land and Urban Planning, Mr. Jean Marie Nibirantije took this opportunity to mention that Burundi Government has implemented strategies to protect the lake through the Water Code. He indicated that severe penalties are provided for polluters, and that the water code requires observing a protection area of 150 meters from the shore, the destruction of illegally implemented building in this area, and the environmental impact assessment prior to implementing any project near the lake.

Mr. Gabriel Hakizimana, LTA Director of Environment, as he is concerned, stressed that pollution of the lake, considered as a freshwater reserve with a volume of 19,000 km³, is mainly caused by wastewater from the lake riparian cities, including Bujumbura. However, he moderated, analysis of waters in this lake of ​​32,900 km², conducted by the NGO "GIZ" confirm that the bacteriological quality of water from Lake Tanganyika is not proper for human consumption but, however, the chemical aspect of this water is not worrisome.

It is worth to mention that the celebration of this day was marked by cleaning the beach near Bujumbura Port, the destruction of illegal fishing gears and giving awards to students who had presented the best poems and best sketches about the theme: "Lake Tanganyika is a treasure to protect".