Sustainable forest management and agricultural waste valorisation in the Sahelian zone

Impulsion works on access to water (installation of water infrastructure) and energy sources (fuelwood, jatropha) in the commune of Barsalogho, located in the Centre-Nord region of Burkina Faso, Sanmatenga Province, around 150 km from Ouagadougou.

Since its creation in 2004, Impulsion has been supported by the Service Laïque de Coopération au Développement (SLCD, a Belgian NGO), of which it is the representative in Burkina Faso, and with which it carried out a project in 2009 to rehabilitate 500 ha planted with jatropha, using the oil produced as fuel for a generator.

This project takes place in the same rural commune of Barsalogho and aims to manage 7 forests (14,260 ha) covered by forest management plans, run by 7 Forest Management Groups (GGF) officially recognised by the authorities, set up in 2009 by the NGO Tree Aid, a partner of Impulsion. The GGFs, as owners of the forests, are responsible for protecting them from unauthorised logging, planting trees, organising the collection of deadwood, and harvesting non-timber products.

In addition, Impulsion plans to draw up and have validated by the authorities 2 management plans for the Korko (6,496 ha) and Toécé (30 ha) forests, and to fence off all 7 forests for protection purposes using live hedges of Jatropha curcas (120,000 plants), as well as reforest with 70,000 plants of 4 threatened species (Adansonia digitata, Parkia biglobosa, Vitellaria paradoxa, Bombax costatum), in order to rehabilitate and preserve their biodiversity.

The collection and marketing of timber forest products (fodder, wood) and non-timber products (honey, balanites, baobab fruit and leaves, Acacia macrostachya fruit) will help diversify and increase the incomes of the 34,000 inhabitants of the 13 villages directly concerned by the project.

Jatropha pressing residues (around 45 t over two years) will be used as organic fertiliser on an area of 24 ha, helping to reconcile agrofuel production with improved crop yields (food production), ultimately reducing pressure to expand agricultural land at the expense of forest resources.