Sep 03, 2022
Fueling Hopes For Burkina Faso’s Sustainable Development
As a land-locked country in West Africa's Sahel region, Burkina Faso is not necessarily one that jumps to mind when thinking about forests and climate change. But knowing that its arid and semi-arid ecosystems have high carbon sequestration potential, particularly its soil, explains why CIF selected Burkina Faso as one of the first countries to participate in its Forest Investment Program (FIP). Back in 2011, this was not an easy decision to accept for many stakeholders as the forestry sector seemed alien to Burkina Faso.
But we stood proudly by that decision because not only is more than 40% of Burkina Faso’s territory covered by wooded areas, but soil and forest management and the preservation of woodlands are identified as top priorities in the country’s development and poverty reduction policies. So we were very eager to visit the country and check the impact of our investments on the ground. We would see firsthand how CIF’s efforts translate for Burkina Faso’s communities.
