Planting Our Future: International Youth Day Series

This is part of a short series for International Youth Day that is looking at how young people see, understand, and are acting for and with forests.

Call to Action for the Forests of Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso is a Sahelian country located in West Africa. The forest estate of Burkina-Faso today covers a total area estimated at 3.9 million hectares, i.e. only about 14% of the area of the national territory, whereas the international standard would like forests to constitute at least 30% of the land. area of the national territory.

What is a classified forest in my country?

A forest is said to be classified when it has been the subject of a classification act either in name of the State or in the name of a local authority (Forest Code, art. 26). The classification allows a forest to be subject to a special restrictive regime concerning the exercise of user rights and exploitation regimes. This act specifies the classification objectives, area, exact limits of the forest, its uses main or exclusive and the methods of its management. Since April 2019, the news has been dominated by a controversial decommissioning project for public utility, in particular regarding the exploitation of part (16 ha) of the classified forest of Kua for the construction of a hospital. This decision revolted us young climate activist and we started to protest.

Importance of the Kua classified forest

The Kua forest is of great importance to the inhabitants of Bobo Dioulasso. For Paul Djiguemde, Director General of Water and Forests at the Ministry of the Environment:

“It was classified to preserve the water sources in the area. Its water table is the second most important water source in West Africa, after the ‘’ Fouta Djalon ’’. It is also the main source of drinking water for the city of Bobo Dioulasso, which risks being polluted with the construction of a hospital.”

The Kua classified forest are:

5 natural water sources including one perennial,
170 woody and herbaceous plant species,
112 plants per hectare, or about 40,000 plants for the entire forest,
The refuge of wildlife species such as hares, rats, squirrels, monkeys, birds, reptiles, mammals, etc.).

The part delimited for this ecocidal project which is 16 ha includes the highest density of feet of Vitellaria paradoxa, a species fully protected in Burkina Faso and whose socio-economic value is well established. In addition to this emblematic species, we find on this part, other useful species such as Parkia biglobosa. It is important to add that the portion delimited for the construction of the hospital includes a water source.

We, the youth, call on political decision-makers to reconsider their position, to do without environmental studies, in order to say no to the declassification of the 16 ha of Kua forest. Yes to building the hospital elsewhere, but hands off my forest!

No to the declassification of the Kua classified forest

The classified forest of Kua, with an area of 350 ha, was classified by the classification decree n ° 891 / SE of April 27, 1936. Most of the classified forests have a high rate of bare / degraded soils. In general, the classified forests the most exposed to anthropogenic pressure have a higher rate of degraded soils. Already, in 2007, studies carried out by the Forestry Department showed a level of degradation of the said forest estimated at 87%. Based on these realities, initiatives are underway to come to the aid of this forest, which plays a major role in the ‘’Hautes-Bassins’’ region as a place of biodiversity (animal and plant), source water collection, sequestration of the carbon produced by the city, a refuge for large reptiles, cultural and customary activities, etc.

The cause of our struggle among us young people is ecological. And it is this last angle that justifies our struggle.

Regulations for classified forest

The law on the Environmental Code stipulates that “activities likely to have environmental incidents are subject to the prior opinion of the Minister of the Environment: the opinion is established on the basis of a impact study or an environmental impact statement”;
The law establishing the Forestry Code in Burkina Faso, stipulates that ‘’any carrying out of major works leading to clearing is subject to prior authorization from the Minister in charge of forests on the basis of an environmental impact study”.

Although the texts orient on the directives to protect the forests, the municipal council of the city of Bobo Dioulasso has ruled for the declassification of the 16 ha of the Kua forest.

These initiatives have multiplied to say no to the downgrading of 16 ha. In addition, the online petition against the downgrading of the site has collected more than 10,000 signatures in one week. The citizen platform “FasoKooZ” for its part called for “a citizen, peaceful and republican demonstration,” on June 1 in Bobo Dioulasso, to say “no to the declassification of the classified forest of Kua and demand the maintenance of the project of construction of the hospital on another site, better indicated, in the municipality ”.

To this day the authority has not commented on the issue, we are all listening to the results of environmental studies. We call on the authorities to choose another site for the construction of the hospital and to restore the Kua forest.