Burkina Faso

GIZ local staff

National employees: 331
International employees: 23​​​​​​​
Development workers: 6

_{(as at: 31.12.2021)}  

The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH has been working in Burkina Faso since 1973. It has maintained an office in the capital Ouagadougou since 1987. 

On the UNDP Human Development Index (HDI), Burkina Faso is ranked 183rd out of the 188 countries listed (2019). Average annual GDP is USD 671 per capita (2019), making it one of the poorest countries in the world. With an annual growth rate of just under 3 per cent, the population is expected to double within 25 years. This poses major problems for the country in terms of food security, the sustainable management of resources and the provision of social services, water and energy for its people.

The country is rich in mineral resources but is so far only mining gold in a meaningful amount. The economic development is largely dependent on agriculture. In all, almost half the population of Burkina Faso lives below the absolute poverty line.
In Burkina Faso, GIZ mainly operates on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). It also works for the Federal Foreign Office (AA) and other international commissioning parties. Its priority areas are:

• sustainable agriculture
• decentralisation
• water supply and sanitation

GIZ coordinates projects on food security and soil conservation to improve agricultural production and meet the growing demand for food in Burkina Faso. This includes making crops more resistant.  Green Innovation Centres provide advisory services and training in agribusiness and the food industry and access to special agricultural loans. Innovations include the use of technical aids and improved seeds. The objective is that small farmers improve their incomes, new jobs are created, and regional food production is increased.

A further project provides support for implementation of decentralisation at national and local level in the country. The objective is to boost participation by the local population. A further objective is to improve management of public finances.

Another priority area is improvements in the water supply and provision of sanitation. Urban drinking water supply and sanitation are being improved and jobs created as a result.