The Green Belt
Reconciling environmental and social approaches for endogenous economic development and improved food resilience.
Initiated in the 1970s,
officially launched in 2005, represents a long-term commitment to meeting the environmental, climatic and urbanization challenges facing Burkina Faso’s capital city. It demonstrates the importance of sustainable urban planning, community involvement and the preservation of green spaces in the face of rapid urbanization.
The stages
The 1970s – The first concerns :
In the 1970s, Ouagadougou, like many African cities, experienced rapid demographic growth and urbanization. This has led to increased deforestation, loss of agricultural land and a growing need for housing and infrastructure. Concerns about the city’s environment and sustainability began to emerge.
The 1980s
The vision emerges:
In the 1980s, civil servants and urban planners began to envisage a solution to the city’s environmental and urban development problems. The idea of creating a green buffer zone around Ouagadougou to counter these problems has begun to gain ground. A project was initiated at the government’s request by a German forestry mission, which began to set up a tree belt around the capital, initially 21 kilometers long and 500 m wide, covering almost all the districts of Ouagadougou and several villages in the surrounding area.
2000 – Presidential commitment :
In 2000, President Blaise Compaoré expressed his commitment to the green belt project, giving it strong political backing. This event marked a turning point, as it indicated that the project was a national priority.
July 28, 1998 Decree n. 98-321 regulating landscaping in Burkina Faso. This decree was adopted to establish rules and standards for landscaping in the country. It may include provisions on the following aspects:
2005 – Official launch
In 2005, the green belt project was officially launched by the government in conjunction with the Great Green Wall for the Sahara and Sahel, commonly known as the Great Green Wall (GGW), the African Union’s flagship initiative to combat the effects of climate change and desertification in Africa.
But it has to be said that, despite the efforts made by environmentalists and successive public authorities, the results of rehabilitation remain unsatisfactory. Thousands of trees have been planted over several seasons, in an attempt to reconstitute severely damaged plant material, but this long-established approach seems unsuitable for today’s context. The current state of the green belt is essentially characterized by :
- Heavy human occupation of the greenbelt area with no real link to the objectives pursued;
- Advanced degradation of plant cover and soil.
When the Greenbelt was created, the space was intended to fulfill multiple functions, such as :
2018
A new approach
In keeping with the spirit of the National Economic and Social Development Plan (PNDS) that the government adopted in 2016 and the international agenda on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, the Ouagadougou City Council in its mandate program (2016-2021) has marked its clear desire to “make the City of Ouagadougou, more welcoming, more coquettish, a prosperous city and finally, a city where it’s good to live and work”.
Consequently, since 2018, the Ouagadougou municipality has proposed a new approach through tree planting marked by a more responsible approach, a better planting technique in a safer environment. It advocates not only the continuation and reinforcement of reforestation and beautification actions, which need to be better organized, technically well-structured and with greater maintenance of achievements. This new approach involves several partners in its implementation. It is intended to be a participatory approach, mainly involving the support of willing partners.
Today
Today, the rehabilitation of the Green Belt is a challenge for the city of Ouagadougou. The aim is to provide a quality living environment for the city’s population, whatever their lifestyle – semi-rural or urban – and to ensure that ecological robustness is reinforced, as in the case of the Bãngr-Weoogo urban park. In this respect, and on closer inspection, there is a link, a geographical, ecological and objective “continuum” between these two entities. A reconciled vision of sustainable development and a green city.
The approach adopted for this rehabilitation is a progressive reforestation integrating the promotion of urban agriculture. Perimeters are laid out, providing water, fertilizing the soil and protecting the perimeters from straying animals. These lands then became suitable for reforestation and Maraicheculture. And the trees planted are maintained by the market gardeners who develop their income-generating activities there. It’s a win-win partnership on several levels. A number of initiatives have been developed and are underway to put this into practice.
In Brief
Today
- Rehabilitation of the Green Belt is underway, with a focus on progressive reforestation and the promotion of urban agriculture.
- Several initiatives underway to ensure ecological robustness and social well-being.
2018: A new approach
- Ouagadougou City Council is adopting a new approach, aligned with the National Economic and Social Development Plan (PNDS) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
- This new approach involves improved planting techniques and more responsible environmental management.
2005: Official launch
- The project is officially launched in conjunction with the Great Green Wall project for the Sahara and Sahel.
- The multiple objectives of the Green Belt include wind protection, job creation and erosion control.
2000: Presidential commitment
President Blaise Compaoré expresses his support for the project, making the green belt a national priority.
July 28, 1998: Landscaping regulations
Decree n. 98-321 was adopted, establishing rules and standards for landscaping in Burkina Faso.
1980s: Vision emerges
- Civil servants and urban planners start looking for solutions to environmental problems.
- A project was launched to create a green belt around the town with the help of a German forestry mission.
- Initial length of tree belt: 21 kilometers, width: 500 meters.
1970s: The first concerns
- Rapid population growth and urbanization in Ouagadougou.
- Increased deforestation and loss of agricultural land.
- The emergence of environmental concerns and urban sustainability.