Survie et performances de croissance des pintadeaux en milieu contrôlé au nord du Burkina Faso

Au Burkina Faso, les pintadeaux connaissent une très forte mortalité liée à des causes multifactorielles, et leur vitesse de croissance reste encore méconnue par les techniciens, tant de la recherche que du développement. Cette étude vise à évaluer les performances de croissance et le taux de mortalité des pintadeaux dans les conditions d’élevage améliorées. Le maximum du poids des oeufs incubés est compris dans la catégorie de 40-45 g. Les de mensurations des oeufs ont révélé une longueur moyenne de 47,4 ± 1,428 mm et 38,65 ± 1,08 mm en moyenne pour le grand diamètre. Le taux de mortalité a été de 9,10%, 7,00% et 9,80%  respectivement chez le producteur I, II et III avec une moyenne de 8,63%. Le poids vifs des pintadeaux à l’éclosion est de 26,59 ± 2,77 g pour les deux sexes. Pour les femelles, il est de 27,69 ± 2,18g et de 25,48 ± 3,35 g pour les mâles. La courbe de croissance des femelles est largement au dessus de celle des mâles. Les pintadeaux femelles ont un GMQ de 2,84 g et les pintadeaux mâles de 2,27 g pendant les deux premières semaines. Le Gain Moyen Quotidien est de 3,78 g pendant les quatre mois. Le test révèle un effet positif du protocole sur la mortalité des pintadeaux.Mots-clés : Pintadeaux, mortalité, croissance, Burkina Faso

Estimating farmers’ willingness to pay for weather index-based crop insurance uptake in West Africa: Insight from a pilot initiative in Southwestern Burkina Faso

© 2018, The Author(s). Weather index-based crop insurance is increasingly becoming important as a risk mitigation strategy that farmers may use to mitigate adverse climate shocks and natural disasters encountered during farming. While Europe, North America, and Asia account for 20.1%, 55%, and 19.5% of the total agricultural insurance premium worldwide, respectively, Africa accounts for only 0.5% of the world insurance industry. One of the key reasons advanced against the low index insurance participation rate in Africa is the failure to involve farm households at the initial conceptualization and design of pilot initiatives. Therefore, the main purpose of this paper is to design an improved participatory methodology that could help elicit information on the value placed by farm households in Southwestern Burkina Faso on a new weather index-based crop insurance management initiative. A key concept in the improved participatory methodology is that of the willingness to pay (WTP) of farm households for the scheme. Knowledge of the maximum amount that farmers are willing to pay for the scheme can help insurance policy providers and public policy makers to design and put in place measures that sustain index insurance schemes in a developing country context and improve welfare among participating farmers

Low-cost adaptation options to support green growth in agriculture, water resources, and coastal zones

The regional climate as it is now and in the future will put pressure on investments in sub-Saharan Africa in water resource management, fisheries, and other crop and livestock production systems. Changes in oceanic characteristics across the Atlantic Ocean will result in remarkable vulnerability of coastal ecology, littorals, and mangroves in the middle of the twenty-first century and beyond. In line with the countries' objectives of creating a green economy that allows reduced greenhouse gas emissions, improved resource efficiency, and prevention of biodiversity loss, we identify the most pressing needs for adaptation and the best adaptation choices that are also clean and affordable. According to empirical data from the field and customized model simulation designs, the cost of these adaptation measures will likely decrease and benefit sustainable green growth in agriculture, water resource management, and coastal ecosystems, as hydroclimatic hazards such as pluviometric and thermal extremes become more common in West Africa. Most of these adaptation options are local and need to be scaled up and operationalized for sustainable development. Governmental sovereign wealth funds, investments from the private sector, and funding from global climate funds can be used to operationalize these adaptation measures. Effective legislation, knowledge transfer, and pertinent collaborations are necessary for their success

Low-cost adaptation options to support green growth in agriculture, water resources, and coastal zones

The regional climate as it is now and in the future will put pressure on investments in sub-Saharan Africa in water resource management, fisheries, and other crop and livestock production systems. Changes in oceanic characteristics across the Atlantic Ocean will result in remarkable vulnerability of coastal ecology, littorals, and mangroves in the middle of the twenty-first century and beyond. In line with the countries' objectives of creating a green economy that allows reduced greenhouse gas emissions, improved resource efficiency, and prevention of biodiversity loss, we identify the most pressing needs for adaptation and the best adaptation choices that are also clean and affordable. According to empirical data from the field and customized model simulation designs, the cost of these adaptation measures will likely decrease and benefit sustainable green growth in agriculture, water resource management, and coastal ecosystems, as hydroclimatic hazards such as pluviometric and thermal extremes become more common in West Africa. Most of these adaptation options are local and need to be scaled up and operationalized for sustainable development. Governmental sovereign wealth funds, investments from the private sector, and funding from global climate funds can be used to operationalize these adaptation measures. Effective legislation, knowledge transfer, and pertinent collaborations are necessary for their success

Effects of customized climate services on land and labor productivity in Burkina Faso and Ghana

Climate services favor adopting strategies to increase agricultural productivity, enhance sustainable development, and adapt to unavoidable climate variability and change. However, for climates services to be effective, they must be accessible and suitable to user needs. This study investigated the effects of customized climate services (CCS) on land and labor productivity. Portraying the case of CCS delivered in the districts of Bolgatanga (Northern Ghana), Dano and Ouahigouya (western and northern Burkina Faso) in West Africa, it used: i) historical panel data of daily rainfall, yields, agricultural input, and output prices; ii) cost statements of farm operations and iii) other survey data from beneficiaries of on-farm demonstrations (pilot sites). Different results were found across farmers on the demonstrator sites, with Dano and Bolgatanga recording the best land and labor productivity. Strong and positive effects were observed in Dano, where land productivity increased by 200% and labor productivity doubled despite consecutive pluviometric extremes such as heavy rain events and prolonged dry spells in the 2017 and 2018 cropping seasons. Further investigation showed that CCS was particularly favorable to land and labor productivity of farmers who were committed to the advisory given by the CCS providers. Therefore, as perishable goods, the success of CCS applications would require thorough coproduction, delivery, and monitoring for their effectiveness in improving land and labor productivity for agriculture in semi-arid regions of West Africa

Challenges of scaling up and of knowledge transfer in an action research project in Burkina Faso to exempt the worst-off from health care user fees

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Systems to exempt the indigent from user fees have been put in place to prevent the worst-off from being excluded from health care services for lack of funds. Yet the implementation of these mechanisms is as rare as the operational research on this topic. This article analyzes an action research project aimed at finding an appropriate solution to make health care accessible to the indigent in a rural district of Burkina Faso.</p> <p>Research</p> <p>This action research project was initiated in 2007 to study the feasibility and effectiveness of a community-based, participative and financially sustainable process for exempting the indigent from user fees. A interdisciplinary team of researchers from Burkina Faso and Canada was mobilized to document this action research project.</p> <p>Results and knowledge sharing</p> <p>The action process was very well received. Indigent selection was effective and strengthened local solidarity, but coverage was reduced by the lack of local financial resources. Furthermore, the indigent have many other needs that cannot be addressed by exemption from user fees. Several knowledge transfer strategies were implemented to share research findings with residents and with local and national decision-makers.</p> <p>Partnership achievements and difficulties</p> <p>Using a mixed and interdisciplinary research approach was critical to grasping the complexity of this community-based process. The adoption of the process and the partnership with local decision-makers were very effective. Therefore, at the instigation of an NGO, four other districts in Burkina Faso and Niger reproduced this experiment. However, national decision-makers showed no interest in this action and still seem unconcerned about finding solutions that promote access to health care for the indigent.</p> <p>Lessons learned</p> <p>The lessons learned with regard to knowledge transfer and partnerships between researchers and associated decision-makers are: i) involve potential users of the research results from the research planning stage; ii) establish an ongoing partnership between researchers and users; iii) ensure that users can participate in certain research activities; iv) use a variety of strategies to disseminate results; and v) involve users in dissemination activities.</p

Designing Transnational Hydroclimatological Observation Networks and Data Sharing Policies in West Africa

Surface observations provide ground evidence of climate change to support the scientific guidance paving the way to better adaptation and mitigation actions. The West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use (WASCAL) has designed a multi-stakeholder initiative to rescue the deteriorated near-surface weather, climate and hydrological equipment of West African countries. The main goal for this multi-stakeholder framework was to monitor the climate and collect long term and high-quality records of essential climate variables in support of research, education, capacity building, and climate services provision. Proactive and inclusive partnership initiatives were developed to jointly (re)design and (re)implement near surface observatiories with the national meteorological and hydrological services or agencies (NMHS/As) in West Africa. The co-production scheme used by this framework succeeded in evaluating the existing observations networks, to modernizing sensors and field equipment, and densifying the sites in order to improve the quality of data collection, transmission, archiving, processing and sharing policies. After more than four years of community-of-practice, the existing regional basic hydroclimatic was increased/upgraded by 45% with automatic weather observing systems while fifty automatic water level, ten water quality sensors, three mesoscale research catchments, and several pilot sites to benefit countries’ services provision, research infrastructure, education, and capacity building. Country-specific data sharing policies were harmonized and signed to support data services delivery. This practice paper exposes the concepts, outcomes, challenges, lessons learned and the ways forward in setting-up the framework and keeping it on working to leverage the co-production of data & information services for better-informed decision-making in the field of sustainable development in West Africa

Entomological surveillance of onchocerciasis in Burkina Faso: Progress towards interrupting transmission in blackflies in the main river basins of the country

Current guidelines for onchocerciasis elimination rely heavily upon assessment of the presence of Onchocerca volvulus in the vector Simulium damnosum (sensu lato). This entomological study was conducted over four years in several regions of Burkina Faso to determine the progress made towards interrupting onchocerciasis transmission. Larvae and adult blackflies were collected in eight river basins (Comoé, Léraba, Dienkoa, Mouhoun, Bougouriba, Bambassou, Nakambé, Nazinon and Sissili). Larvae were analysed by cytotaxonomy, and the adult blackflies analysed for the presence of infective larvae of O. volvulus by PCR. Blackfly infectivity rates were first determined by year for each basin, then compared to the thresholds established by the WHO. The results indicate that the blackflies collected belong to the savannah group Simulium damnosum (sensu stricto) and Simulium sirbanum. Hybrids of the two species were also identified. Overall, the prevalence of flies carrying infective larvae was below the threshold of 0.05% established by the WHO indicating important progress towards the interruption of onchocerciasis transmission in Burkina Faso, though hotspots with infectivity rates well above the WHO’s thresholds remain. Onchocerca volvulus continues to be transmitted in six of the nine basins evaluated, all of which border neighbouring countries. These data indicate that it will be necessary to maintain entomological surveillance in these hotspot areas until transmission is interrupted throughout the region

LE POINT SUR LES RESSOURCES GENETIQUES EN MATIERE D'ELEVAGE AU BURKINA FASO

RESUMELe Burkina Faso, avec plus de 11 millions de petits ruminants et près de 4 millions de bovins 2 (MAE, 1990) pour un territoire essentiellement sahélien de 274 00 km, est un pays exportateur de bétail. On estime la contribution des produits du bétail à 27% de la valeur de l'ensemble des produits agricoles. L'élevage occupe donc une place de choix dans les activités de la population. Avec le dernier recensement de 1989 (MAE, 1990), on connaît à peu prèsles effectifs du cheptel; cependant, on peut estimer que peu de travaux ont porté sur la description des races locales. Ces travaux sont surtout ceux de Doutressoulle (1947), Dumas et Raymond (1975), et Bourzat (1979).Les données présentées ici proviennent donc essentiellement des sources suscitées; pour certains aspects (taux de croissance) les chiffres proviennent de la cellule statistique du Ministère Délégué aux Ressources Animales (MDCRA, 1991) et de l'Etude prospective du sous-secteur élevage (MAE, 1991).</jats:p