Chapter 14
Water Resources in the Sahel
and Adaptation of Agriculture to Climate
Change: Burkina Faso
Babacar Lèye, Cheick Oumar Zouré, Roland Yonaba,
and Harouna Karambiri
Abstract In West Africa, a shift in climate conditions since the 1970s is evidenced
by a decrease in average annual rainfall and an increase in temperatures between
1931–1960 and 1968–1990. The latter period was followed by a rainfall recovery
since the late 1990s in the western Sahel. The prolonged rainfall deficits of the twentieth century have, however, strongly influenced the hydrological environment of
the major river basins. As a result, nowadays, there is a reduction in the vegetation cover as compared to the early 1950s, thus an increase in runoff, along with
the gradual disappearance of permanent streams and the appearance of large floodplains. Climate change has also had negative consequences on agricultural activity,
which is still mainly rainfed. The current state has motivated local stakeholders to
undertake programs and strategies to address the consequences of climate change. In
this chapter, an inventory of water resources and management practices in Burkina
Faso is presented and the impacts of climate change on the river hydrology and the
agricultural sector, as well as adaptation measures to these changes by the affected
communities, are investigated. These strategies include adaptation, mitigation and
strategic planning. The impacts on all stakeholders, including the rural communities,
government authorities and international agencies, are discussed.
Keywords Agriculture · Burkina faso · Climate change
1 Introduction
In West Africa, particularly in Burkina Faso, climate variability has increased since
the early 1970s. Between 1931–1960 and 1968–1990, there was a decrease in average
annual rainfall of 20–40% (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC
2014)). According to the IPCC, average temperatures in Africa increased by 0.6 °C
just between 1900 and 1996, and is anticipated to increase by another 3.5 °C during
B. Lèye (B) · C. O. Zouré · R. Yonaba · H. Karambiri
Laboratory of Water, HydroSystems and Agriculture (LEHSA), International Institute for Water
and Environmental Engineering (2iE), Rue de La Science, 01, PO Box 594, Ouagadougou 01,
Burkina Faso
e-mail: babacar.leye@2ie-edu.org
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
S. Diop et al. (eds.), Climate Change and Water Resources in Africa,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-61225-2_14
309
Water Resources in the Sahel
and Adaptation of Agriculture to Climate
Change: Burkina Faso
Babacar Lèye, Cheick Oumar Zouré, Roland Yonaba,
and Harouna Karambiri
Abstract In West Africa, a shift in climate conditions since the 1970s is evidenced
by a decrease in average annual rainfall and an increase in temperatures between
1931–1960 and 1968–1990. The latter period was followed by a rainfall recovery
since the late 1990s in the western Sahel. The prolonged rainfall deficits of the twentieth century have, however, strongly influenced the hydrological environment of
the major river basins. As a result, nowadays, there is a reduction in the vegetation cover as compared to the early 1950s, thus an increase in runoff, along with
the gradual disappearance of permanent streams and the appearance of large floodplains. Climate change has also had negative consequences on agricultural activity,
which is still mainly rainfed. The current state has motivated local stakeholders to
undertake programs and strategies to address the consequences of climate change. In
this chapter, an inventory of water resources and management practices in Burkina
Faso is presented and the impacts of climate change on the river hydrology and the
agricultural sector, as well as adaptation measures to these changes by the affected
communities, are investigated. These strategies include adaptation, mitigation and
strategic planning. The impacts on all stakeholders, including the rural communities,
government authorities and international agencies, are discussed.
Keywords Agriculture · Burkina faso · Climate change
1 Introduction
In West Africa, particularly in Burkina Faso, climate variability has increased since
the early 1970s. Between 1931–1960 and 1968–1990, there was a decrease in average
annual rainfall of 20–40% (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC
2014)). According to the IPCC, average temperatures in Africa increased by 0.6 °C
just between 1900 and 1996, and is anticipated to increase by another 3.5 °C during
B. Lèye (B) · C. O. Zouré · R. Yonaba · H. Karambiri
Laboratory of Water, HydroSystems and Agriculture (LEHSA), International Institute for Water
and Environmental Engineering (2iE), Rue de La Science, 01, PO Box 594, Ouagadougou 01,
Burkina Faso
e-mail: babacar.leye@2ie-edu.org
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
S. Diop et al. (eds.), Climate Change and Water Resources in Africa,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-61225-2_14
309