THE EMERGENCE AND SPREADING OF AN IMPROVED TRADITIONAL SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION PRACTICE IN BURKINA FASO
No hay miniatura disponible
Fecha
Autores
Título de la revista
ISSN de la revista
Título del volumen
Editor
Resumen
Descripción
This paper describes the emergence of improved traditional planting pits (zaï) in Burkina
Faso in the early 1980s as well as their advantages, disadvantages and impact. The zaï emerged
in a context of recurrent droughts and frequent harvest failures, which triggered farmers to start
improving this local practice. Despair triggered experimentation and innovation by farmers.
These processes were supported and complemented by external intervention. Between 1985 and
2000 substantial public investment has taken place in soil and water conservation (SWC). The
socio-economic and environmental situation on the northern part of the Central Plateau is still
precarious for many farming families, but the predicted environmental collapse has not occurred
and in many villages indications can be found of both environmental recovery and poverty
reduction.