SRJS_ToC_BF Inclusive and sustainable management of the Nakanbe water basin in Burkina Faso

The Nakanbé River in Burkina Faso is the second largest tributary of the Volta River, though it runs only during the rainy season from May to August. Its basin is one of the three sub-basins of the Volta River Basin. Covering an area of 81,931 km2, the Nakanbé is one of Burkina Faso’s most populated regions. Over 5 million people depend on the basin for their subsistence, as it provides water, food security, biodiversity and resilience to climate change. The National Park Kaboré Tambi and Nazinga Range are home to wildlife such as elephants, waterbucks and savanna buffalos. The area between the National Park Kaboré Tambi and Ghana’s Mole National Park is an important transboundary biological corridor. Poor governance coupled with population growth and a growing urban demand for commodities such as charcoal, fuelwood, bushmeat and other non-timber forest products are putting pressure on the natural resources. Industrial and artisanal gold mining are causing deforestation and degrading water quality and quantity. Agricultural producers have the biggest direct impact on natural resources in the landscape. The traditional land system is based on land concessions with temporary use arrangements. Having no long-term guarantees that they can stay on the land, agricultural producers often revert to unsustainable practices, such as intensive grazing by cattle and sheep, bush fires to clear land and the use of harmful fertilizers. This leads to soil erosion and water pollution, which is also affecting neighboring Ghana. It is also impacting agricultural yields and fish stocks. Land degradation and water scarcity are also being caused by movement of livestock and people across the border with Ghana, leading to the destruction of vegetation and water sources. This is creating social tension in the region. Rapid expansion of hydraulic infrastructures (currently 400 dams) requires permanent dialogue with communities, which has been happening to a certain extent. Altering a river's flow and downstream sedimentation often have massive long-term environmental impacts. Large dams, in particular, have had significant impacts in the region, leading to the extinction of many fish and other aquatic species, floodplains (upstream), huge losses of forest, wetland and farmland, and many other impacts.