Burkina Faso’s Experience in the Construction and Operation of Small Dams, an Overview*

Burkina Faso is a landlocked country in western Africa in a bend of the Niger river. It is situated between latitude 09 ° 20 ‘South and 15 ° North and longitude 05 ° 3’ West and 02 ° 30 ‘East. The neighbouring countries are Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo and Benin to the south, Niger to the east and Mali to the north and northwest. The country covers a total area of 274 000 km².

The population is estimated at 16 million according to projections based on the 2006 general census. The annual growth rate is 3.1%. Rainfall is limited to three or four months and there is considerable runoff for over three months. Average annual rainfall is 800 mm and average annual runoff is around 30 - 40mm. Annual evaporation is approximately 2 metres and is greater than the average annual rainfall. The country is situated in a semi-arid zone called “sahel” that suffers very severe drought.

150Since the 1970s, the country has faced a dramatic change in rainfall characterised by a period of severe and persistent drought over the decade 1973-1983 and alternating drought and flooding that has led to recurring famines.

The main solution for mobilising surface water whilst satisfying the population’s needs is to use dams to store the water. Developing water resource management is a key issue in Burkina Faso’s development. Water is a key element for public health (water and sanitation), nutrition (food safety) energy (hydroelectricity) and for the general development of this region of Africa. The government, with support from foreign governments and organisations, as well as NGOs, has developed a significant programme for water mobilisation and storage in reservoirs created using small dams, to develop rural communities. The building of these dams started in 1920 and represent about 1000 infrastructures with a total capacity of around 800 million cubic metres, including the large dams. The aim of this article is to share the experiences of Burkina Faso relative to small dams with professionals from the sectors of hydroelectricity, dams and the water resource industry.