Africa regional award PDC-C-0251 · 1982 · agriculture · International Science and Technology Institute, Inc. (ISTI)

Traditional land use systems in Burkina Faso, while well-adapted to the environmental variability of the Sahel region, have not been able to meet the challenges posed by growing population pressures and increased demand for agricultural products. This report assesses Burkina Faso's environmental status, giving particular attention to soil and rangeland degradation and deforestation. Erosion is the primary cause of soil degradation in Burkina Faso. Bare soil surfaces, poor soil structure, crusting soils, intense rainfall, long slopes, trampling by livestock herds, and mechanized farming - all of which encourage erosion - are common in many parts of the country. Low soil moisture and poor fertility are two related problems. Rangeland degradation, contrary to common belief, is not due solely to overgrazing. Range status is the result of a number of changes taking place within the traditional herding systems, including changing patterns of animal movement, and of range and forage availability. Deforestation, like range degradation, is symptomatic of the stresses facing subsistence-level farmers and the urban poor. Activities such as land clearing, fuelwood cutting, and animal grazing m

Source: DEC abstract, PN-AAY-470 (1982). The source's own text.