Watershed Level Baseline Assessment in the Nariarlé Watershed, Volta Basin, Burkina Faso

This 2012 technical report by the Stockholm Environment Institute provides a baseline assessment of livelihood strategies in the Nariarlé watershed of the Volta River Basin in Burkina Faso. Based on community fieldwork conducted in June 2010 across four villages, the report details the practices, yields, and constraints of four primary groups: rainfed farmers, irrigated gardeners, pastoralists, and fishers.

• Rainfed agriculture is the dominant land use, covering approximately 60 to 70 per cent of the Nariarlé watershed. The most important crops are sorghum, pearl millet, cowpea, maize, groundnut, paddy rice, sesame, and bambara nut, with cereal and cowpea typically grown in association. Yields are low, ranging from 500 kg to 2 t ha-1, with pearl millet averaging 600 kg ha-1 and sorghum 800 kg ha-1.
• Irrigated gardening and agriculture occur near water reservoirs and dams, with field sizes typically between 0.2 and 0.3 hectares. Rice is primarily grown downstream of dams, while vegetables such as onions, cabbage, and tomatoes are grown upstream. These activities are highly commercialized, with up to 90 per cent of harvests sold. Paddy rice yields average about 4 t ha-1.
• Livestock keeping is the second most important activity in the watershed, involving sheep, donkeys, goats, pigs, and some cattle. Pastoralists rely on extensive grazing and seasonal transhumance, as there are no formally delimited grazing areas. Animal sales account for an average of 50 per cent of pastoralist income.
• Fishing is a minor livelihood activity involving less than 3 per cent of the population, primarily utilizing large dams. The activity is most intense during the rainy season when prices are lower. Fishers face challenges including the use of prohibited pesticides that kill fish and the use of non-compliant fishing net meshes.
• Pasture areas are decreasing due to the expansion of the city of Ouagadougou, specifically through a project called "Le grand Ouaga," and the sale of land to citizens for land-intensive agri-business activities.
• Agricultural productivity is constrained by several factors: rainfed farmers struggle with climatic risks, high fertilizer costs, and a lack of technical support; irrigated farmers face dam siltation and water pollution from chemicals; and pastoralists lack access routes to water and high-quality pasture.

APA

K., O., Pare, S., Sawadogo-Kabore, S., Cinderby, S., & de Bruin, A. (2012). Watershed Level Baseline Assessment in the Nariarlé Watershed, Volta Basin, Burkina Faso. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Air-land-water-resources/agwater/nariarle-awm-baseline_120727.pdf

Chicago

K., Ouattara,, S. Pare, S. Sawadogo-Kabore, S. Cinderby, and A. de Bruin. Watershed Level Baseline Assessment in the Nariarlé Watershed, Volta Basin, Burkina Faso. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2012. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Air-land-water-resources/agwater/nariarle-awm-baseline_120727.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=K. |first1=Ouattara, |last2=Pare |first2=S. |last3=Sawadogo-Kabore |first3=S. |last4=Cinderby |first4=S. |last5=de Bruin |first5=A. |title=Watershed Level Baseline Assessment in the Nariarlé Watershed, Volta Basin, Burkina Faso |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=2012 |url=https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Air-land-water-resources/agwater/nariarle-awm-baseline_120727.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{k2012watershed, author = {K., Ouattara, and Pare, S. and Sawadogo-Kabore, S. and Cinderby, S. and de Bruin, A.}, title = {{Watershed Level Baseline Assessment in the Nariarlé Watershed, Volta Basin, Burkina Faso}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2012}, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Air-land-water-resources/agwater/nariarle-awm-baseline_120727.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }