Improving the supply of drinking water and sanitation, conserving water

Context

The urban population in Burkina Faso is growing very rapidly, in part because of the influx of IDPs. Service providers in the drinking water and sanitation sector can barely keep up with demand.

At the same time, climate change is resulting in less frequent but more extreme precipitation. Despite more frequent flooding, less water is entering the soil and groundwater, thus reducing the amount of water available.

Objective

Access to clean drinking water and safe sanitation has improved, particularly for poor households, women and girls.

Approach

In collaboration with the National Office for Water and Sanitation (ONEA), the project is improving efficiency in the drinking water and sanitation supply service, for example to process customer enquiries more quickly and monitor water losses. For the sanitation supply, it is financing the construction of plants that clean sludge from toilet evacuation. It is also working with ONEA to train women and young people in how to build and evacuate toilets as private service providers.

In five towns in the Hauts-Bassins region, the project is working with ONEA and the Regional Directorate for Environment, Water and Sanitation (Direction Régionale de l’Environnement, de l’Eau et de l’Assainissement) to organise the construction of simple water supply systems and toilets for vulnerable households, schools and health centres. The project provides information in schools on menstrual hygiene to make it easier for girls to attend school.

The project is also advising the water authority of the Mouhoun region (Agence de l’Eau de Mouhoun) on conserving drinking water resources for the city of Bobo-Dioulasso. It is also financing the construction of drainage ditches to reduce flooding and replenish natural water reservoirs.

Last update: June 2025