Livelihood Security: Climate change, conflict and migration in - UNEP

Case study 7: Best practices in adaptation –
Association Zoramb Naagtaaba
The livelihoods of over 80 per cent of the population in
Burkina Faso are based in the agricultural sector, including
livestock rearing; farming millet, groundnuts, sorghum and
cotton; and fisheries . This strong dependency on natural
resources makes communities particularly vulnerable to
land degradation, desertification, frequent occurrence
of drought and erratic rainfall .
In 1989, a pilot farm in Guiè, some 60 km outside of the
capital of Ouagadougou, was established with the goal
of restoring desertified land in the region . The project
began with the participation of five villages in the area,
and has since expanded to ten villages with a combined
population of approximately 10,000 . The initial farm has
become part of a larger non-governmental organization,
known as the Association Zoramb Naagtaaba (AZN),
which provides a number of social services to the ten
communities, including health and education services .
Livelihood Security: Climate Change, Migration and Conflict in the Sahel
In Guiè, Burkina Faso, farmers have been
able to harvest up to four times the output
generated by traditional farming practices
in the area, thanks to the use of unique
but simple soil and water conservation
techniques
The farming is conducted through the establishment of
a bocage . A bocage is defined as a rural landscape of grasslands and/or fields that is surrounded
by hedges and forest . The AZN project has established three bocage areas of 100 hectares each .
Each bocage supports 36 families and uses simple soil and water conservation farming technologies .
Along the edges of the bocage are infiltration ponds that capture rainwater and are used to replenish
groundwater . Changes have also been made to address the changing environment and weather
patterns . For example, as rain has become increasingly erratic and winds more prominent, trees have
been planted around the periphery of the bocage to help prevent the loss of top soil .
The use of Zaï has also led to significant increases in the output of harvest . Zaï, which originated in Mali,
is a technique that involves placing a pit around the seedling (approximately 10-20 cm in depth, 20-40
cm in diameter), to which organic matter is added . The ridged circle around the plant helps improve
water retention, as well as prevent the loss of soil and erosion . In addition, each plot within the bocage
is fallowed every fifth year to protect from degradation by overplanting . At certain points in the year,
livestock are brought in to fertilize the area and eat the fodder that remains after harvest . As a result
of these unique soil and water conservation strategies, bocage production has had approximately
four times the output than that of traditional farming practices in the area . In the most recent drought,
production remained stable as opposed to that in areas outside of the bocage, which were negatively
impacted by the lack of rainfall .
Furthermore, this case illustrates cooperative management between the farmers in the ten villages .
Cooperation has been critical to the success of AZN . A local council made up of representatives from
the ten villages agrees on all the actions taken by the association . For example, the construction of
a new road requires agreement, as well as assurance of ongoing maintenance by all communities .
This endeavour is being coordinated through a non-governmental organization and is supported
mainly through international funding . However, there is significant demand: many more villages in the
surrounding area are requesting to become part of the association and more farmers would like to
participate and farm in the bocage .
© UNEP/Dennis Hamro-Drotz
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