Burkina Faso/Bobo-Dioulasso: Launch of additional activities for the PEA and ProSol projects
German Cooperation has received funding from the European Union to finance additional activities in the Soil Protection and Rehabilitation to Improve Food Security project and the Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Program. These two projects, respectively abbreviated to ProSol and PEA, aim to contribute to the country's development policies in a context marked by the security challenge. The ceremony marking the joint launch of these two projects took place this Friday, April 12, 2024 in Bobo-Dioulasso.
The European Union is co-financing these two projects to the tune of over ten billion FCFA. This workshop marks the official launch of additional activities for the ProSol and PEA projects in the Hauts-Bassins region. By organizing this workshop, the implementing partners aim to communicate with the authorities and all regional and central players on the various activities planned for this purpose. This will enable them to take ownership of the projects. This meeting is also an opportunity to share with all stakeholders the testimonials of beneficiaries supported by the ProSol and PEA projects. Participants will also be asked to make suggestions for the continuation of these projects.
The opening ceremony was presided over by the Governor of the Hauts-Bassins region, Mariama Konaté/Gnanou. She represented the Minister of Agriculture and the Minister of Water and Sanitation at the launch of the projects co-financed by the European Union and the Federal Republic of Germany. According to her, this funding adds value to the important work carried out by ProSol and PEA. These two projects are implemented by GIZ technical cooperation and have been running in the Hauts-Bassins region since 2015 and 2006 respectively.
They are placed under the technical supervision of the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Resources and Fisheries for ProSol, and the Ministry of the Environment, Water and Sanitation for PEA. During their implementation period, these projects have made a real contribution to the various development policies of Burkina Faso's agriculture, water and environment sectors.
According to Jan Meise, chargé d'affaire at the German Embassy, between 2015 and 2024, ProSol was able to rehabilitate 24,000 hectares of degraded land; train 17,500 farmers in agro-ecological measures; support 5,600 women to gain access to management techniques, water management and environmental protection; and promote the use of natural resources.s to management techniques, inputs and guaranteed land use over the long term; formulate four communal development plans incorporating the implementation of agro-ecological protection measures; and so on.
As for the PEA, since 2006, it has supplied some 266,900 people with drinking water and 62,980 with sanitation. The project has supported the installation and empowerment of young professionals; the creation of technical water and sanitation services; the training of 75 communal technicianssupporting the search for funding for the construction of 42 water points and latrines; raising awareness of hygiene and sanitation among 58,086 women, etc.
Reinforcing the achievements of ProSol and PEA
In view of the difficulties facing Burkina Faso, particularly the security challenge, it is vital to step up investment in order to contribute to development policies. With this in mind, the governor of the region praised the efforts of the German Cooperation and the European Union in mobilizing this additional funding, which will enable the achievements of the ProSol and PEA programs to be strengthened. But also for taking into account current priorities set out in the Agropastoral and Fisheries Offensive 2023-2025. "This additional funding will boost local development by strengthening people's resilience in the face of current challenges, by improving the performance of agricultural and fisheries systems.lioration of agrosilvopastoral systems and access to water and sanitation," said Mariama Konaté, Governor of the Hauts-Bassins region.
She took the opportunity to express the transitional government's gratitude to the European Union and German Cooperation for their contribution to the country's sovereignty. She also invited all stakeholders not only to take ownership of these activities, but also to mobilize with the implementation teams to achieve the targets. The implementation of these two projects falls within the framework of German-Burkinabe cooperation. ProSol aims to contribute to the security and resilience of populations in the face of the effects of climate change, and PEA to improve drinking water and sanitation services.
The additional funding will enable ProSol and its partners to step up their efforts to promote agro-ecological measures for soil protection and rehabilitation, and to improve land governance. As for the PEA, the additional funding will help improve access for vulnerable populations to sustainable drinking water supply, hygiene and sanitation services, with a view to protecting water resources in the Hauts-Bassins region. It will reinforce the interventions of the AEP and its partners in the fields of water resource protection, development of water services, etc.
"The two projects have an overall budget of over ten billion FCFA. In terms of impact, the plan is to finance drinking water and sanitation infrastructure for at least 30,000 people in the Hauts-Bassins region, as well as 27 schools and 27 health centers. In terms of agro-ecology, over 6,500 hectares of land will be rehabilitated and protected for farming. More than 6,000 farmers will be supported to increase and improve their production and yields. This project is a significant contribution to the Agropastoral and Fisheries Offensive," emphasized Diego Escalona Paturel, Head of Cooperation at the European Union Delegation for Burkina Faso.
Source: lefaso.net/
