Burkina Faso

Our projects in Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso data
Human development index (out of 182 countries in the world)*	177^th position
Total population (estimate 2010) **	16.241.811
Urban and rural population (2008) **	20% - 80%
Average age (estimate 2010) **	16,8 years - 16,6 men - 17 women
Per capita GNP *	$ 1.124 ($ 3,08 a day)
Population living under the poverty line (1.25$ a day) *	56,5%
Population living with less than 2$ a day *	81,2%
Life expectancy at birth * **	53 years
Infant mortality rate (under 5 years)i (2007) *	19,1%
Rate of underweight children (under 5 years) *	37%
HIV rate (estimate 2007) **	1,6%
Unemployment rate (2004) **	77%
Employment workforce **	90% agriculture 10% industry and services
Literacy rate **	21,8% - 29,4% men - 15,2% women
Primary school attendance (2000-2007) *	47%
Population with access to safe drinking water (2007) *	72% - 97% urban - 66% rural
Population with access to sanitation (2007) *	13% - 41% urban - 6% rural

* source UNDP 2009
** source CIA

Human development index

PROJECTS

ACRA is present in Burkina Faso since 2007 and concentrates its activities in eight municipalities of the Tapoa Province, supporting people living on the outskirts of the Park W.

The main strategy of ACRA - in line with the decentralization policy of the country - is to create participatory development opportunities in order to reduce the strong pressure on the Park protected areas. Specifically, the project has contributed decisively to the approval of the first Municipal Environmental Action Plans of all Burkina Faso. Moreover - in the context of these plans - there were realized actions of environmental education and micro-realizations in all schools of the province, several micro-projects for different village groups, transhumance corridors, analysis on tourism potential and training of eco- guides.

In addition to actions in the areas of decentralization, agriculture and environment, ACRA presence in the county allowed us to collect data and study a project dedicated to tourism.

This project was initiated at the end of the year and shall enhance the tourism potential of the area of intervention as the park may be a major tourist attraction thanks to the diversity of ecosystems, the presence of large African mammals, a very rich bird life, numerous water courses, waterfalls, historical and archaeological sites. Nowadays, the tourism sector (cultural, natural, eco-tourism, etc...) excluding hunting tourism, is generally weak.