Burkina Faso is strengthening its water management policy to support its food sovereignty. In Pô, in the Nazinon region, the President of Burkina Faso, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, inaugurated a dam that had been anticipated for decades. This project is expected to permanently transform agricultural activities and the living conditions of the local population.
Long awaited by the people of Nahouri, the Pô-Kapro dam is now a reality. Inaugurated on July 25, 2026, by the President of Burkina Faso, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, the structure boasts a storage capacity of 1,038,000 m³ of water and a dam nearly 700 meters long. Completed in just eight months, it marks a new step in the national strategy for water management and food sovereignty.
“In the past, you had to dig, you had to find water deep underground. There are seasons when you have to go down more than five meters in wells to get just a little water. And there comes a point where you just have to stop because there’s no other way. I would like to say to the President, thank you very much, he has solved our problems and our worries. We must thank him.”
Akossai Wetta, Producer – Burkina Faso
In Burkina Faso, where agriculture employs a large portion of the working population and remains heavily dependent on rainfall, the development of water infrastructure has become a strategic priority. The Pô-Kapro dam is intended to supply water to market gardening, rice farming, livestock breeding, and fishing, while also promoting groundwater recharge and job creation. According to the authorities, this infrastructure fulfills a promise made in the 1960s and is part of a broader program to build and rehabilitate dams across the country.
“This dam was highly anticipated. There will be others in the region. The National Office for Dams and Hydro-Agricultural Development (ONBAH) is currently working to identify all the potential sites for building additional dams. The primary objective is to provide drinking water to the population so that young people can work full-time farming around the various water points we will create. We also plan for fish farming; I just spoke with the Minister about implementing floating cage fish farming. This aligns perfectly with our food self-sufficiency policy, enabling our farmers to produce year-round through the water management we will achieve.”
Ibrahim Traore, President of Faso – Burkina Faso
To accelerate this water policy, the government has relaunched the National Office for Dams and Hydro-Agricultural Development (ONBAH), which will be equipped in 2025 with equipment valued at 13 billion CFA francs. The Office now plans, between 2026 and 2030, to construct 11 new dams, rehabilitate 24 existing structures, and develop nearly 1,800 hectares of irrigated land. With the Pô-Kapro project, the authorities aim to sustainably transform rural areas by strengthening food security, agricultural incomes, and community resilience to the effects of climate change.
