Wennepinguere Virginie Marie Yameogo1, Farid Traore2, Blaise Ouédraogo3, and Mipro Hien4
1 Environment, Water and Forests Department, Université Nazi BONI (UNB), Bobo–Dioulasso P.O. Box 1091, Burkina Faso
2 Natural Resources Management Department, Institut de l’Environnement et de Recherches Agricoles (INERA), Ouagadougou P.O. Box 8645, Burkina Faso
3 Natural Resources Management Department, Institut de l’Environnement et de Recherches Agricoles (INERA), Ouagadougou P.O. Box 8645, Burkina Faso
4 Environment, Water and Forests Department, Université Nazi BONI (UNB), Bobo–Dioulasso P.O. Box 1091, Burkina Faso
Original language: English
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Abstract
Water resources are the economic and social backbone of Burkina Faso. However, these resources are subject to strong climatic and anthropic pressures. The aim of this study was to understand the perceptions of local communities regarding surface water resources in three Ramsar wetlands in Burkina Faso. Data collection was based on field surveys of the riparian population and interviews with resource persons. A pre-designed questionnaire and interview guide were formalized using the Kobotoolbox tool. IBM SPSS Statistics (version 22) was used for data analysis. The results show that the water surface areas of the three Ramsar sites studied - Lake Dem, Lake Bam and the «Nakanbé-Mané Basin» wetland - are on a downward trend. The main causes are siltation of the basins, drought, high evapotranspiration, heavy pressure from uses, inadequate maintenance, etc. Restoration solutions implemented in the watershed include protection and restoration work, awareness-raising and capacity-building, and repair work. Despite the diversification of activities carried out, the results obtained remain insufficient, according to local residents. A package of measures was therefore proposed. These include strengthening water management structures, increasing water storage capacity, restoring structures and ecosystems, and stepping up awareness-raising and training activities.
Author Keywords: Water resources, Local viewpoint, Ramsar wetland, Climate change, Anthropogenic pressure, West African Sahel.
