Enabling environment for circular bioeconomy sector in Burkina Faso

Circular bioconomy (CBE) have emerged as effective tools for triggering a sustainable development process consequent to the fear of cascading risks, growing instability in the world market and the recent Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic. Promoting the development of business models towards CBE can help countries meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the needs of growing population while supporting vulnerable and marginalized groups (Schroder et al., 2018, Rodriguez- Anton et al., 2022). Burkina Faso has a huge opportunity and natural resources to develop CBE. In the country, the agricultural sector employs 63% of the employed workforce and contributes to 16% of the Gross Domestic. National statistics indicate that in 2021 the largest national productions were maize (1,853,509 tons), followed by sorghum (1,643,721 tons); millet (705,344 ton); cowpea (704,539 tons); cotton (696,635 tons, including fiber and seeds) and peanuts (630,525 tons) (INSD – EPA, 2021-2022)

A Spatio-temporal Model of African Animal Trypanosomosis Risk

[b]Background[/b]African animal trypanosomosis (AAT) is a major constraint to sustainable development of cattle farming in sub-Saharan Africa. The habitat of the tsetse fly vector is increasingly fragmented owing to demographic pressure and shifts in climate, which leads to heterogeneous risk of cyclical transmission both in space and time. In Burkina Faso and Ghana, the most important vectors are riverine species, namely Glossina palpalis gambiensis and G. tachinoides, which are more resilient to human-induced changes than the savannah and forest species. Although many authors studied the distribution of AAT risk both in space and time, spatio-temporal models allowing predictions of it are lacking.[b]Methodology/Principal Findings[/b]We used datasets generated by various projects, including two baseline surveys conducted in Burkina Faso and Ghana within PATTEC (Pan African Tsetse and Trypanosomosis Eradication Campaign) national initiatives. We computed the entomological inoculation rate (EIR) or tsetse challenge using a range of environmental data. The tsetse apparent density and their infection rate were separately estimated and subsequently combined to derive the EIR using a "one layer-one model" approach. The estimated EIR was then projected into suitable habitat. This risk index was finally validated against data on bovine trypanosomosis. It allowed a good prediction of the parasitological status (r(2) = 67%), showed a positive correlation but less predictive power with serological status (r(2) = 22%) aggregated at the village level but was not related to the illness status (r(2) = 2%).[b]Conclusions/Significance[/b]The presented spatio-temporal model provides a fine-scale picture of the dynamics of AAT risk in sub-humid areas of West Africa. The estimated EIR was high in the proximity of rivers during the dry season and more widespread during the rainy season. The present analysis is a first step in a broader framework for an efficient risk management of climate-sensitive vector-borne diseases

Mediating knowledge co-production for inclusive governance and delivery of food, water and energy services in African cities

Rising rates of urbanisation in Africa, without attendant improvements in critical infrastructure, have occasioned gaps in the provision of basic services in cities across the continent. Different systems and scales of service delivery — decentralised and centralised, public and private — coexist and often compete in urban spaces but rarely connect in ways that ensure the needs of the poorest are met. Our paper interrogates the value of transdisciplinary research for bringing actors in these systems together to co-produce knowledge for inclusive and sustainable outcomes. Drawing on empirical data from two complementary projects in four African cities, we demonstrate the possibilities for facilitating this kind of knowledge co-production among system actors in the food, water and energy domains. We show, through a comparative approach, elements of the co-production process that enable more responsive engagement by traditionally detached policy actors. From our findings, we generate a framework that local researchers serving as ‘knowledge intermediaries’ can use to stimulate research-policy-society interactions aimed at fostering sustainable and inclusive service delivery across Africa. By synthesising the findings from local case studies into a widely applicable framework, our analysis informs both the theory and practice of transdisciplinary sustainability research in the African context where the imperative to bridge gaps in methodological innovation and service delivery is high.This work was funded by a collaborative writing grant from the International Science Council (grant number LIRA2030-GR08/20), under its Leading Integrated Research for Agenda 2030 in Africa (‘LIRA 2030’) programme. The original case study projects were funded through separate LIRA 2030 grants, with grant numbers LIRA2030-GR06/17 (Project 1) and LIRA2030-GR09/18 (Project 2) respectively.The International Science Council, under its Leading Integrated Research for Agenda 2030 in Africa (‘LIRA 2030’) programme and the original case study projects were funded through separate LIRA 2030 grants.http://link.springer.com/journal/12132am2022School of Public Management and Administration (SPMA

Impact of Changing Seasonal Rainfall Patterns on Rainy-Season Crop Production in the Guinea Savannah of West Africa

Rainy-season farming is a major source of income for the rural population in the Guinea Savannah zone of West Africa. Farming systems in the region are dominated by rain-fed production of cereals, but include also leguminous crops and oilseeds. A recent World Bank study has identified high potentials for competitive agricultural production and agriculture-led growth in the Guinea Savannah zones of Sub-Saharan Africa. This optimistic outlook is conditional on appropriate investment strategies, policy reforms, and institutional changes. Furthermore, the World Bank warns that global climate change could pose a potential constraint for agricultural growth due to likely reductions in rainfall levels and significant increases in rainfall variability. This could lead to serious dry spells and a drop of crop yields. The study regions are the département Atakora in Benin, the région Sud-Ouest in Burkina Faso, and the Upper East Region in Ghana. Climate projections and trend estimates for these regions show very heterogeneous results for level and variability of monthly rainfall patterns. Therefore, we want to investigate which potential future developments pose the greater threat for agricultural production in the study regions. We develop a set of regional agricultural supply models, each representing 10-12 cropping activities and roughly 150.000 ha of agricultural area. We distinguish two stages of crop production: The planting stage from April to June and the yield formation stage between June and November. Preliminary results suggest that drought events during the planting stage have a more severe impact on the output of individual crops than drought events during the second stage. In contrast, the impact on total farm revenues appears to be more prominent during the second stage, when farmers have a limited capability to adjust their production plan. A clear if not surprising result is the larger vulnerability of crops with growth cycles ranging from the very beginning to the very end of the rainy season. The observed diversity of cropping activities serves the purpose to reduce the vulnerability to adverse rainfall events within a certain range. However, some extreme events are associated with very poor harvests of specific cash crops, thus severely affecting the income of the farming sector. A comprehensive picture will be obtained once the climate change scenarios are completed and the model results are tested and validated for various settings

Impact of Changing Seasonal Rainfall Patterns on Rainy-Season Crop Production in the Guinea Savannah of West Africa

Rainy-season farming is a major source of income for the rural population in the Guinea Savannah zone of West Africa. Farming systems in the region are dominated by rain-fed production of cereals, but include also leguminous crops and oilseeds. A recent World Bank study has identified high potentials for competitive agricultural production and agriculture-led growth in the Guinea Savannah zones of Sub-Saharan Africa. This optimistic outlook is conditional on appropriate investment strategies, policy reforms, and institutional changes. Furthermore, the World Bank warns that global climate change could pose a potential constraint for agricultural growth due to likely reductions in rainfall levels and significant increases in rainfall variability. This could lead to serious dry spells and a drop of crop yields. The study regions are the département Atakora in Benin, the région Sud-Ouest in Burkina Faso, and the Upper East Region in Ghana. Climate projections and trend estimates for these regions show very heterogeneous results for level and variability of monthly rainfall patterns. Therefore, we want to investigate which potential future developments pose the greater threat for agricultural production in the study regions. We develop a set of regional agricultural supply models, each representing 10-12 cropping activities and roughly 150.000 ha of agricultural area. We distinguish two stages of crop production: The planting stage from April to June and the yield formation stage between June and November. Preliminary results suggest that drought events during the planting stage have a more severe impact on the output of individual crops than drought events during the second stage. In contrast, the impact on total farm revenues appears to be more prominent during the second stage, when farmers have a limited capability to adjust their production plan. A clear if not surprising result is the larger vulnerability of crops with growth cycles ranging from the very beginning to the very end of the rainy season. The observed diversity of cropping activities serves the purpose to reduce the vulnerability to adverse rainfall events within a certain range. However, some extreme events are associated with very poor harvests of specific cash crops, thus severely affecting the income of the farming sector. A comprehensive picture will be obtained once the climate change scenarios are completed and the model results are tested and validated for various settings

Burkina Faso – Land, climate, energy, agriculture and development: A study in the Sudano-Sahel Initiative for Regional Development, Jobs, and Food Security

In this working paper, the biophysical factors and socio-economic conditions that led to Land Use and Land Cover Changes (LULC) and land degradation in Burkina Faso are reviewed. It is found that the country is densely populated and population continues to rise at a rate of more than 3% a year. However, nearly half of the population still lives below the poverty line. The electrification relies heavily on fossil fuels as the country has limited hydropower potential and solar energy received little investment. The rate of electrification is still very low, triggering the use of other sources of energy derived from firewood in rural areas. In addition, Burkina Faso has experienced land degradation in the North as a consequence of the 1970s and 1980s droughts that struck all the Sahel. Subsequently, migration took place from the degraded areas to the central, western and southern regions of the country causing further LULC changes. Furthermore, the country suffers from the effects of climate change and climate variability through increasing temperature trends, highly variable precipitation regimes and intensification of extreme events. Projected changes reveal prevailing conditions that indicate an increased risk of disasters in the agriculture, water and health sectors, among others. Due to this situation, some technological responses and policy actions have been developed for sustainable land management and climate change adaptation and mitigation. The adopted technological approaches include, among others, irrigation expansion and efficiency, rainwater harvesting, crop diversification, adoption of drought-tolerant crop varieties and rotational grazing. Some policies have been put in place to facilitate the adoption of these technologies. They consist of carbon trading, land-use zoning and integrated landscape planning, payment for ecosystem services, providing access to markets and agricultural advisory services, securing land tenure and empowering women. These actions are part of broader programs and investment plans that include, but not limited to, the Strategic Framework for Poverty Reduction (SFPR), the Strategy for Accelerated Growth and Sustainable Development (SCADD), the National Rural Sector Program (PNSR), the Resilience and Support Plan for Vulnerable Population (RSPVP) and the Cereals Price Stabilization Program (CPSP) among others

Chapitre 3. Les déterminants de l’utilisation de l’information pluviométrique (nord et sud-ouest du Burkina Faso)

L’information pluviométrique en Afrique de l’Ouest L’information pluviométrique est définie comme la diffusion d’informations liées aux caractéristiques d’une saison (pluie, inondation, sécheresse) dans des localités de choix en direction des producteurs. Elle représente une innovation et joue un rôle très important dans la gestion des risques en agriculture (Meza et al., 2008), puisqu’elle permet non seulement d’anticiper les effets néfastes des extrêmes pluviométriques, mais aussi de prendr..

Physico-chemical and bacteriological quality of groundwater in a rural area of Western Niger: A case study of Bonkoukou

The precariousness of the rural population in Africa is often symbolized by the lack of potable and safe drinking water. This study investigates the physico-chemical and bacteriological characteristics of 32 water samples with respect to WHO standards. The water samples were collected from wells, boreholes and small drinking water supply systems (DWS) in and around the township of Bonkoukou (Niger). The Water Quality Index (WQI) tool was used to assess the overall water quality with different physico-chemical parameters. Where the pH of the samples was acceptable, the samples showed higher levels of mineralization and deoxygenation. Overall, the samples were slightly hard, chlorinated and sulfated but much alkaline and contained nitrate and nitrite ions 2-16 times higher than the WHO standards. The use of WQI shows that samples in the DWS are safe for drinking. Samples coming from wells are the most polluted (58.50%) compared to those taken from boreholes (53.00%), while the percentage of samples from boreholes, unfit for drinking, is higher (41.00%) than that of the samples taken from wells (25.00%). Moreover, water in this area was characterized by the presence of total germs indicating bacteriological pollution. Hence, for the supply of safe drinking water to the larger number of people in such a rural area, the capacity of actual DWS must be improved and widespread. © 2020 The Authors

Biomass cookstoves: A review of technical aspects and recent advances

The global increase in population coupled with poor access to clean energy has set pressure on solid fuel use. Through this, about one-third of the world's population currently relies on solid fuels (fuelwood, charcoal, coal, agro-residues, dung, etc.) in meeting their primary energy needs. However, only 11% of this population used improved biomass cookstoves (cookstoves with potential reductions in fuel use and toxic emissions). This is more peculiar to developing countries where cooking accounts for about 90% of domestic energy consumption. With this, research on cookstoves technology has increased in recent years as about 1905 articles have been reportedly published in less than a decade (2014–2022). This paper aims at bringing together literature spanning over a decade with a focus on the technical aspects of biomass cookstoves to establish the recent advances and current state of knowledge. Literature on different biomass cookstoves designs, operational features, and testing protocols have been reviewed. An overview of various cookstove performances was critically discussed with emphasis on thermal and emission performance. Having looked at the literature, pathways for future studies were recommended. This includes the incorporation of social factors such as end users’ perceptions in the design and development phase. This will not just enhance the design process but may influence the cookstove adoption. Others are developing similitudes of the traditional models but in improved forms using locally available materials, as well as models that operate with solid and liquid biofuels

Optimal spatio-temporal lag for the regression model of serological and parasitological prevalences using AICc.

<p>The bold value presents the best model.</p