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Paper short abstract

The paper presents a project being implemented in Sandbondtenga Province, Burkina Faso, which responds to the challenges of access to drinking and productive water, diversifying the income for vulnerable populations, and increasing the resilience of communities to risks and natural disasters.

Paper long abstract

This paper presents a multi-year initiative aimed at strengthening the resilience of vulnerable communities in Sandbondtenga Province, Burkina Faso. The project responds to vulnerabilities caused by erratic rainfall, rising temperatures, and chronic water scarcity—conditions that undermine food security and livelihoods in one of the country’s most drought-prone regions.

The purpose of the project is to ensure sustainable access to drinking and productive water; and to build transformative capacities for disaster risk reduction. These objectives are pursued through integrated, participatory strategies that combine infrastructure development, capacity building, and social empowerment. Key interventions include the installation of solar-powered boreholes and drip irrigation systems, rehabilitation of degraded land for market gardening, and the establishment of women-led cooperatives to secure land tenure and diversify income sources. The project will impact approximately 2230 community members, of which 1509 are women.

The project aims to reduce dependence on unpredictable rainfall and restore soil fertility, mitigating the impacts of drought and land degradation. Water-saving technologies and organic farming practices contribute to sustainable resource management and scalable food production, while disaster preparedness planning sustainably addresses the growing frequency of climate-induced shocks by working through local authorities. Early results indicate significant progress, including a 79% improvement in livelihood outcomes and universal access to productive water among target groups.

This case underscores the importance of integrated, locally driven approaches to climate resilience that link environmental sustainability with economic empowerment, community livelihood and resilience. It offers practical insights for development actors seeking to operationalise climate adaptation in fragile, resource-constrained contexts.