Burkina Faso
Location Western Africa, located on the southern rim of the Sahara Desert (known as the Sahel)
National websites  CIA World Factbook Page on Burkina Faso
Embassy / Chancery in U.S. Embassy of Burkina Faso
2340 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, DC  20007
Agencies responsible for biological inventory and conservation Ministry of Environment and Water Affairs
03  B.P.  7044
Ouagadougou  03
585, rue Agostino Neto
Secteur 4, Koulouba
e-mail: diallo@ouaga.orstom.bf
Major Natural Resources Burkina Faso's major resources include (limited quantities of) manganese, limestone, marble, gold, antimony, copper, nickel, bauxite, lead, phosphates, zinc, and silver.  Land usage is divided as follows: arable land 10%, permanent crops 0%, meadows and pastures 37%, forest and woodlands 26%, and other 27%.  Agriculture is the country's most important source of foreign exchange followed by animal products.  Currently, cotton is its biggest export.  Since livestock is an important resource, the government plans to create a Ministry of Animal Resources and plans to develop grazing and livestock zones.
Major Environmental and Conservation Issues Recently, Burkina Faso has been experiencing droughts that have hampered the water supply and its agricultural activities.  This year (1999), the country is experiencing its worst drought in two decades.  Desertification, soil degredation, overgrazing, and deforestation are also key environmental issues.  Soil degredation is mainly caused by erosion, which is exacerbated by bare soil surfaces, mechanized farming, trampling by livestock, and poor soil structure.  Deforestation is on the rise, due in part to the problems faced by subsistence farmers and the poor.  Though Burkina Faso is a signatory and party to many international and regional environmental agreements, the national investment in protected areas remains very low.  About 1% of GDP is invested in such protection.  In addition, of the 11.5% of land classified as protected, only 1.7% is strictly protected (i.e. protected from direct physical tampering).  Its three ecofloristic zones (woodlands, savanna, and the tree/bush pseudo steppe) require additional protection.  Despite the diversity and richness of its wildlife, the country's species level information is poorly documented.  It is home to 83 endemic species, none of which has currently been documented as endangered.
Statistics Information Sources
Land area 273,800 sq. km WRI's Burkina Faso Profile

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Area of forest 4,436 ha WRI's Burkina Faso Profile

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Area of wetlands Burkina Faso has 3 Wetlands of Importance (Ramsar), totaling 299,000 ha.  There are a large number of different natural wetlands, such as marshes and floodplains.  Moreover, there are, at last count, 1100 dams or embankments that have created artificial wetlands. WRI's Protection of Natural Areas (1994) Data Table

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Area of territorial waters None, land-locked CIA World Factbook Page on Burkina Faso
Population 11,266,393 (July 1998 estimate)  
Population Density About 42 persons per sq. km  
Area protected (ha) (only areas >1000ha) at all IUCN levels 2,662,000 ha (total of 12 protected areas) WRI's Protection of Natural Areas (1994) Data Table

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Fraction of land area protected (%) 9.7% WRI's Protection of Natural Areas (1994) Data Table

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Major Protected Areas Transboundary protected areas (areas at international borders) have more effective protection of ecosystems and species.  Burkina Faso has many of these areas, which it shares with its neighbors.  For example, W du Burkina Faso and W du Benin (both national parks) are protected under the second IUCN category and are 235,000 ha and 502,000 ha respectively.  Burkina Faso has 1 biosphere reserve (19,000 ha). WCMC's National Biodiversity Profile for Burkina Faso
Endemic Species
Mammals  0
Birds  0
Reptiles  3
Amphibians  0
Fish  0
Invertebrates  
Plants  80 (Dicots/Monocots)
 		 WCMC's National Biodiversity Profile for Burkina Faso
Endangered, Threatened and Vulnerable Species
Mammals  6
Birds  1
(Black Crowned Crane)
Reptiles  0
Amphibians  0
Fish  0
Invertebrates  
Plants  0
 		 World Conservation Monitoring Centre - Animal 

World Conservation Monitoring Centre - Plants
Extinct Species
Mammals  0*
Birds  0
Reptiles  0
Amphibians  0
Fish  0
Invertebrates  0
Plants  0

*No extinctions documented
 

 World Conservation Monitoring Centre - Animal 

World Conservation Monitoring Centre - Plants
Species listed on CITES Appendix I 10 species of fauna: chimpanzee, cheetah, caracal, leopard, Sahara Oryx, ostrich, Peregrine falcon, African slender-snouted crocodile, African crocodile, West African dwarf crocodile

(CITES has not completed a listing of flora yet)

  CITES Homepage
Species listed on CITES Appendix II 93 species of fauna (to see a complete list, must execute a search at the CITES homepage for this particular country by choosing to see all the listed species, then narrowing it down by country and appendix)

(CITES has not complete a listing of flora yet)

  CITES Homepage
Legislation
Laws protecting endangered or threatened species Party to Convention on the Game Hunting Formalities Applicable to Tourists Entering Countries in the Conseil de l'Entente (1976, regional treaty) and Party to the African Convention on the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (1968, regional treaty)
Laws protecting endangered ecosystems Party to the Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats (1979, regional treaty)

Note: Burkina Faso was under French rule until 1960 
Signatory to CITES Party, 1973
Signatory to Ramsar Wetlands Convention Party, 1971
Signatory to Convention on Biological Diversity  Party, 1992
Signatory to Migratory Bird Treaty No
Member of International Whaling Commission No
Signatory to other international treaties designed to protect or manage biological resources Signatory to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982), Party to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory species of Wild Animals (1979), Party to the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (1972), Signatory to the Convention on the High Seas (1958), and Signatory to the Convention on Fishing and Conservation of the Living Resources of the High Seas (1958) 
Natural Resource Use Information Sources
Fisheries The average annual freshwater catch for Burkina Faso is 7,200 metric tons.  From 1990 to 1992, the per capita annual food supply from fish and seafood was 1.9 kg, a 35.7% change since 1980 to 1982 World Resources Institute's Data Table on Marine and Freshwater Catches, Aquaculture, and Fish Consumption

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Forestry Based on data from 1990, forests are composed of three ecosystem types: moist deciduous (47.8%), dry deciduous (34.7%), and very dry and desert (17.5%).  The 1993 average roundwood production was 9,300,000 cubic meters, a 30.4% change over the last 10 years.  97.4% was used as fuel or charcoal, a 30.7% change over the last 10 years, and 1% was used as hardwood. World Resources Institute's Profile on Burkina Faso

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Ecotourism Many sites on the Internet offer eco-tours or activities dealing with ecotourism (nature based tourism).  Infohub provides information on such tours for Burkina Faso.  Tourism is becoming a profitable industry in many African countries, but has drawbacks in that ecotourism booms may be temporary.  In Burkina Faso, the Nazinga Game ranch with 300 elephants.  People living in the area tolerate the damage caused by the elephants (e.g. crop damage) because of the benefits they receive (jobs, meat from game-cropping, etc.).   Conserving Africa's Elephants Outside Protected Areas
Trade in wildlife products    
Hunting Companies who offer ecotourism activities do not only offer nature walks and bird viewing, but offer game hunting.  Hunting is still considered by many an interesting sport and people are taking advantage of the deals offered by ecotour companies for elephant or buffalo hunting (see Business Times article).  
Other uses of natural resources    
Human Impacts on Natural Resources Information Sources
Air pollution Like other developing countries, Burkina Faso continues to use leaded gasoline.  It is one of the countries with the higest allowable lead concentration for gasoline and is one of the countries with the lowest market share for unleaded gasoline.  Also, emissions from the mining, processing, and smelting of lead (one of its major resources) contributes to air pollution. Air Quality Management: Lead Pollution Prevention
Water pollution Increased urbanization, mining and industry, and agriculture have contributed to water pollution is Burkina Faso and many other countries in Western Africa.  In many areas, sewage treatment is poor due to increasing management costs and old plants.  In some cases, 95% of urban sewage goes back into surface water untreated.  Industrial pollutants, such as the chemicals used in metals processing, and mining pollutants are also major sources of water pollution.  In teh agricultural sector, freshwater in irrigated areas is sometimes polluted by fertilizers and pesticides, causing eutrophication and algal growth. Most Stressed Water Systems in Africa
Development activities  
Introduced species An on-going project conducted by International Program for Arid Land Crops (IPALAC) to help in the conservation of soil and water, based on drought-tolerant mulch plants.  IPALAC is an organization that introduces plant species and evaluates how they work in different niches. IPALAC: International Program for Arid Land Crops
Legislation addressing these issues Party to the Montreal Protocol (on Ozone Depleting Substances) Selected International Environmental Agreements 
Restoration and Reintroduction Information Sources
Programs for restoration of damaged habitat  11.5% of the territory's area is protected.  The regional average of land area protected for Sub-Saharan Africa is 7.6%, while globally it is 5%.  The 1994 national investment in conservation was U.S. $3.74 per sq. km whereas the global average is U.S. $447 per sq. km.  Many NGOs (Non-Government Organizations) are implementing programs to restore damaged habitat or help Burkina Faso maintain their environment.  The Green Cross organization has a program to fight desertification through soil regeneration, rain water conservation, and afforestation.  Deforestation is a major environmental issue and many organizations are developing tree-seeding programs.  See article on Burkina Faso's National Forestry Seed Center. WCMC's National Biodiversity Profile for Burkina Faso
Programs for ex situ conservation (captive breeding and reintroduction) of endangered species  In collaboration with the IMF and the World Bank, the government plans to promote and revitalize village wildlife associations and promote the reintroduction of local species.  It also plans to  increase protection of its  wildlife resources.   IMF's Policy Framework for Burkina Faso
Return to Endangered Species Protection around the World

Page compiled by Katherine Verano as part of a class project in H90 "The Science of Biodiversity and Conservation" (Peter J. Bryant, Instructor), University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA