Sustainable Asset Valuation of Land Restoration and Climate-Smart Agriculture in Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso, a landlocked country in West Africa, is experiencing severe impacts of climate change: increasingly extreme rainfall and flooding events, coupled with prolonged droughts. The result is the complete devastation of agriculture, with 46% of the country’s arable land now degraded. Year on year, 105,000 to 250,000 hectares of land degrades, threatening food security, health, and rural communities’ well-being.

These challenges have also displaced many Burkinabe, especially as 80% of the population relies on agriculture. Displacement rates have surged by over 7,000% since 2018, making Burkina Faso one of the fastest-growing displacement regions globally.

In response, Burkina Faso’s Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Finance, supported by the NDC Partnership, are proposing a land restoration project using nature-based infrastructure (NBI). Targeting the Sahel, Soucie du Mouhoun, Eastern, and Cascades regions, the project aims to regenerate 37% of the country’s land, benefiting over 26,000 households and indirectly aiding over 600,000 individuals. The initiative also focuses on gender­ responsive NBI, supporting nearly 8,000 women.

Using spatial analysis, climate data, excel-based modeling, and financial analysis, this integrated cost-benefit analysis demonstrates the massive potential of NBI to restore land and combat desertification, promote sustainable agricultural practices and reduce climate-related displacement, overall aiding communities with climate change adaptation.

We found that:

1. The nature-based and hybrid interventions perform better than the grey infrastructure alternative, while delivering further socioeconomic benefits. For every 1 USD invested, NBI delivers USD 14.8 in benefits.
2. NBI increases carbon storage, helping with climate change mitigation, generating an avoided cost of USD 28.1 million and offering potential financing opportunities through carbon credits.
3. NBI avoids the displacement of people from their homes, increases stability, and reduces the potential for conflicts and violence through reliable income sources and food security.
4. The implementation of the NBI can be replicated, scaling across Burkina Faso and beyond, to effectively combat droughts, desertification and sustain rural livelihoods.