The quality of forest governance in Burkina Faso : a first analysis of strengths and weaknesses

Burkina Faso has experienced continued degradation of its natural resources (forests, farm and grazing lands, lakes, and rivers) on which nearly 90 percent of the population depends for their living. The country has almost 21 percent of its area under dry savannah forests, contributing 3.65 percent to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Deforestation is estimated at 1 percent per annum and an associated loss of income estimated at 1.23 percent of GDP. Burkina Faso is one of the eight pilot countries chosen for the Forest Investment Program (FIP). Under this program Burkina Faso could draw around $30 million for the preservation and increase of carbon stocks with poverty reduction, through reductions in deforestation and degradation and overall better sustainable forest management. The proximate causes of deforestation include agricultural expansion, pastoralism on fallow ground during the dry season, wood removals from forests mainly for domestic uses and the overexploitation of non-timber forest products. This report is organized as follows: Sections two to three provide information on the participants, organization, structure and findings from the national workshop on forest governance. Section four reports on the findings from the background report and the broader stakeholder consultations (up to the time of the workshop). Section five highlights the key governance weaknesses (based on synthesizing the information in sections three and four), faced by the country, their possible redress and their potential for inclusion in FIP funded projects. Section six concludes with some suggestions on next steps.