Burkina Faso Water Supply and Sanitation Program

The objective of the Burkina Faso Water Supply and Sanitation Program Project is to improve access to water supply and sanitation services in targeted areas. Despite strong economic performance, averaging 5.5 percent growth per year over the last 15 years, Burkina Faso remains one of the poorest countries in the world. Burkina Faso’s economy is heavily reliant on agricultural production (especially cotton), with roughly 80 percent of employment linked to subsistence farming and contributing to 40 percent of the gross domestic product. More than 40 percent (or 7.7 million) of the population lived below the poverty line in 2014, and remain almost completely excluded from basic services and from access to infrastructure. Per capita gross national income was US$627 in 2016. The country ranked 185 among 188 countries included in the 2015 Human Development Index. Burkina Faso’s population is growing rapidly, increasing pressure on service delivery and water resources. At an annual growth rate of 3.1 percent, the estimated population of 19.5 million in 2017 is expected to grow to 29 million in 2030. Furthermore, Burkina Faso experiences one of the fastest urbanization rates on the continent, at 5.7 percent per year. This is particularly evident in the capital city of Ouagadougou, and the second city of Bobo-Dioulasso, which have annual population growth rates of 7.2 percent and 11 percent, respectively. Still, 70 percent of the population lives in rural areas where access to services, including adequate water and sanitation, are significantly lagging urban areas, particularly in the southwest regions where the Program will intervene. Water resources are highly vulnerable to climate change due to their intrinsic relation to rain, temperature, and wind patterns. Average temperature increases are projected to be 0.8°C by 2025, and 1.7°C by 2050; accompanied by a rainfall reduction of 3.4 percent by 2025, and 7.3 percent by 2050, with significant inter-annual and seasonal...