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B. Lèye et al.
the twenty-first century in the Sahel zone (Dia and Duponnois 2013). In contrast,
Burkina Faso is experiencing an increase in rainfall since the 1990s (Nicholson 2005;
Hountondji et al. 2009), although a trend towards a significant decrease in the number
of rainy days still persists (Hountondji et al. 2009; Lebel and Ali 2009).
Rainfall deficit in Burkina Faso has strongly influenced the hydrological regimes
of the major river basins. The average annual flows of the major rivers in the region
have decreased by 30 to 60% between the 1960s and the early 2000s (Ardoin Bardin
2004). In addition, significant population growth (about 3% per year) since the beginning of the 1990s has led to a profound change in management methods and the use
of natural resources (Dia and Duponnois 2013). Farmers have had to expand the areas
under cultivation to compensate for lower yields and to meet the growing needs of an
increasing population. As a result, there is a reduction in the vegetation cover, thus
promoting runoff, the disappearance of permanent river streams and the appearance
of large floodplains.
Climate change has other negative consequences for agricultural activity, which
is mainly rainfed. The agricultural sector employs 86% of the rural population and
contributes up to 30% of the gross domestic product. Because irrigation is practiced
on less than 2% of cultivated areas (FAO 2005), large numbers of people remain
vulnerable to dry spells that can reduce agricultural production.
This situation has motivated stakeholders in the field (including rural populations,
non-governmental organizations and government technical services) to undertake
programs and strategies to address the negative consequences and effects of climate
change. Thus, farmers and researchers have used techniques including water conservation and harvesting, soil restoration, varietal adaptation and the use of climate
information (Sawadogo 2011; Zougmoré et al. 2014; Zongo et al. 2016). These
initiatives have been supported by the government through the development and
implementation of national climate change adaptation programs.
The general objective of these programs is to contribute to sustainable development by providing appropriate solutions to water-related problems so that limitations
of water do not limit socioeconomic development. To wit, meeting demands for
water must respect ecosystems, protect against erosion, flooding and pollution, and
reduce the burden to the public by reallocating costs to the beneficiaries of investments. Strategies must also seek to prevent conflicts with neighboring countries. At
the regional level, many new projects facilitate agricultural planning in response to
climate hazards (Redelsperger et al. 2006; Roudier et al. 2014). These techniques
make it possible to recover large areas of degraded land and improve agricultural
yields. Irrigation is also essential to increase agricultural production. For this reason,
the government and its partners have constructed dams on many rivers to ensure
the availability of water resources. Small reservoirs are now an essential component of rural landscapes and an undeniable element of water resource management
(Cecchi et al. 2009). These reservoirs mitigate the negative effects of droughts through
temporal regulation of available water and provide flood protection. One of the additional benefits of these hydraulic infrastructures is their contribution to the recharge
of groundwater (Koussoubé 1996). The management of water resources, therefore,
deserves the highest attention.
B. Lèye et al.
the twenty-first century in the Sahel zone (Dia and Duponnois 2013). In contrast,
Burkina Faso is experiencing an increase in rainfall since the 1990s (Nicholson 2005;
Hountondji et al. 2009), although a trend towards a significant decrease in the number
of rainy days still persists (Hountondji et al. 2009; Lebel and Ali 2009).
Rainfall deficit in Burkina Faso has strongly influenced the hydrological regimes
of the major river basins. The average annual flows of the major rivers in the region
have decreased by 30 to 60% between the 1960s and the early 2000s (Ardoin Bardin
2004). In addition, significant population growth (about 3% per year) since the beginning of the 1990s has led to a profound change in management methods and the use
of natural resources (Dia and Duponnois 2013). Farmers have had to expand the areas
under cultivation to compensate for lower yields and to meet the growing needs of an
increasing population. As a result, there is a reduction in the vegetation cover, thus
promoting runoff, the disappearance of permanent river streams and the appearance
of large floodplains.
Climate change has other negative consequences for agricultural activity, which
is mainly rainfed. The agricultural sector employs 86% of the rural population and
contributes up to 30% of the gross domestic product. Because irrigation is practiced
on less than 2% of cultivated areas (FAO 2005), large numbers of people remain
vulnerable to dry spells that can reduce agricultural production.
This situation has motivated stakeholders in the field (including rural populations,
non-governmental organizations and government technical services) to undertake
programs and strategies to address the negative consequences and effects of climate
change. Thus, farmers and researchers have used techniques including water conservation and harvesting, soil restoration, varietal adaptation and the use of climate
information (Sawadogo 2011; Zougmoré et al. 2014; Zongo et al. 2016). These
initiatives have been supported by the government through the development and
implementation of national climate change adaptation programs.
The general objective of these programs is to contribute to sustainable development by providing appropriate solutions to water-related problems so that limitations
of water do not limit socioeconomic development. To wit, meeting demands for
water must respect ecosystems, protect against erosion, flooding and pollution, and
reduce the burden to the public by reallocating costs to the beneficiaries of investments. Strategies must also seek to prevent conflicts with neighboring countries. At
the regional level, many new projects facilitate agricultural planning in response to
climate hazards (Redelsperger et al. 2006; Roudier et al. 2014). These techniques
make it possible to recover large areas of degraded land and improve agricultural
yields. Irrigation is also essential to increase agricultural production. For this reason,
the government and its partners have constructed dams on many rivers to ensure
the availability of water resources. Small reservoirs are now an essential component of rural landscapes and an undeniable element of water resource management
(Cecchi et al. 2009). These reservoirs mitigate the negative effects of droughts through
temporal regulation of available water and provide flood protection. One of the additional benefits of these hydraulic infrastructures is their contribution to the recharge
of groundwater (Koussoubé 1996). The management of water resources, therefore,
deserves the highest attention.