Natural resources in the Djenkoa sub-catchment in Burkina Faso: From spatio-temporal dynamics to the need for environmental communication

The aim of the study was to analyse changes in land use in the Djenkoa sub-basin. This was done using secondary data from satellite images taken during the periods 1993-2003, 2013 and 2023. In addition, 252 people living in villages bordering the Djenkoa sub-basin were interviewed. The results of the study showed that tree savannahs, shrub savannahs, rainfed cultivation, gallery forests and orchards are the dominant units over the period 1993-2023. In addition, the units ‘water bodies’, ‘wooded savannah’ and ‘shrub savannah’ are decreasing, while the units ‘rainfed cultivation’, ‘gallery forest’ and ‘bare soil’ are increasing significantly. This reflects a decline in tree and shrub resources in the Djenkoa sub-catchment. The study also revealed that farmers living around the sub-catchment are not adopting environmental practices that are sufficient to cope with this situation. Urgent action is therefore needed to raise awareness and train people to conserve the natural resources of the sub-catchment. published by the Journal of Biodiversity and Environmental Sciences (JBES)