BURKINA FASO

Strengthening Local resilience to climate extremes

The problem

Land degradation present a major challenge to the maintenance of socio-economic development and natural resources in Burkina Faso. Agriculture is a major economic activity and an important source of livelihoods in the country particularly in rural areas. However environmental degradation and climatic hazards like droughts are disrupting these activities and driving poor communities into even more poverty and increasing their vulnerability to extreme weather events.  

EPIC’s solution

EPIC is implementing a grassroots approach to strengthen local resilience to climate extremes, integrating ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation and sustainable resource use. Local participation is a key aspect of the project. Communities are  involved as from early stages which include:

• a participatory assessment of vulnerability to climate-related risks
• identification of local innovations to address the problems
• implementation of identified solutions and activities.

Incorporating traditional knowledge , EPIC’s intervention is contributing to the restoration of degraded lands, improvement of soil fertility and improvement of water availability in crop farms through endogenous soil restoration techniques and reforestation.