Participatory management of hydraulic structures water resources : case studies of water allocation in three subwatersheds in Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso, a Sahelian country, has integrated water resource mobilization into its development programs to ensure food security and meet the other freshwater needs of the population. Following the droughts of the 1970s and 1980s, the surface water resources mobilization has been at the center of rural development programs. The issues and challenges surrounding the water resources of these hydraulic works are multiple. The reorientation of the uses of these structures by the populations, the pressure on water due to the increase in needs, the various interests of users, the degradation of the structures and their water resources often lead to conflictual relations between users. In response, Burkina Faso has adopted Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM), one of which aims is to reconcile differences between users by involving them in water resource management and breaking with sectoral management. This document analyses the governance of water resources and hydraulic structures in the IWRM context. The approach developed is systemic. The interviews carried out in the field have highlighted a water governance still embryonic and in particular allocation models around the structures. IWRM needs the commitment of all the actors as well as robust allocation models that are quite distinct according to the challenges of each sub-basin.