Disasters in Burkina Faso

Drought and heat can cause water shortages, crop and livestock losses and prolonged pressure on household incomes and supplies. Heavy rain can trigger river and urban flooding, flash floods, erosion, bridge and road damage and failures in water, electricity, communications, schools or health facilities. Degraded soil, informal settlements, weak drainage and limited rescue capacity increase exposure. Between 2013 and 2024, 12 recorded flood events affected 307,789 people and caused 220 deaths. Drought in 2020 and 2021 affected an estimated 6.4 million people, while floods in 2024 affected more than 16,000 people across nine regions. These figures depend on reporting and access to affected areas. Burkina Faso uses the Plan national multirisque de préparation et de réponse aux catastrophes et crises humanitaires 2024-2026. The framework covers prevention, preparedness, emergency response, early recovery and resilience for hazards such as floods, severe winds and thunderstorms, fires, drought and climate effects. CONASUR and its permanent secretariat coordinate national disaster assessment, assistance and recovery. The Direction générale de la protection civile, or DGPC, coordinates civil protection, ORSEC emergency arrangements, warnings and operations. The Brigade nationale des sapeurs-pompiers, or BNSP, provides fire and rescue services. ANAM-BF provides weather forecasts and warnings, while water authorities and local administrations contribute hydrological information and local implementation. The Système d’Alerte Précoce des Crues et Inondations, known as SAPCI, was officially launched in 2025. It links meteorological and hydrological information to flood anticipation, alert distribution and coordination. Alerts may reach communities through authorities, radio, mobile networks and local communication, but electricity, network coverage, language access and last-mile delivery vary. An alert does not automatically mean that an evacuation order has been issued. Local governors, Hauts-Commissaires and municipalities may organize measures according to the situation, while humanitarian organizations such as OCHA, IFRC, UNICEF, WFP and NGOs assist according to their mandate, funding, security conditions and access. Before the rainy season, households can inspect roofs, drainage and water outlets, store drinking water, medicines, lighting, a charged phone, charging options and basic food, and agree on a meeting point and a way to reach higher ground. Avoid riverbeds, depressions and areas near dams during heavy rain. During flooding, do not cross submerged roads, bridges or waterways, and keep away from power lines. During lightning, avoid trees, high ground, metal objects and open areas. Follow an evacuation instruction immediately and help injured people only when doing so does not create additional danger. For emergencies, the publicly listed channels include 18 for firefighters or BNSP, 17 for police secours and 16 for the gendarmerie. DGPC information also refers to 112 and 1010, but the official listings are not fully consistent and availability cannot be guaranteed outside served areas. When calling, state the location, hazard, number of injured people and the access path briefly. Report dangers to emergency services or the local authority and avoid spreading unverified information. CONASUR, municipalities and verified partners may provide water, food, temporary shelter, non-food items, sanitation, health, protection or logistics support, but access depends on damage assessment, vulnerability, registration, reachability, security and funding. No uniform cash payment, compensation, deadline or entitlement for every affected person is established. Evacuation and reception arrangements remain locally dependent. ORSEC can be activated when the scale of damage exceeds territorial or regional capacity, and recent exercises have covered alerting, decisions, evacuation, rescue, medical care, reception, assistance and coordination. There is no reliably documented nationwide evacuation plan with standardized assembly points for every hazard and municipality. Recovery usually moves from damage and needs assessment to rescue, temporary shelter, water and sanitation, food, repair of critical infrastructure and longer-term reconstruction. Priorities may include water systems, roads and bridges, schools, health facilities, electricity, telecommunications and drainage. Early warning, water storage, safer construction, flood protection, soil conservation and drought-resilient agriculture can reduce future losses, although insecurity and limited access can delay implementation.