Foreword

Biological diversity is the unique capital for the survival of humanity. It maintains life on land thanks to its ecological roles and as a supplier of subsistence products for living beings. Biological diversity also contributes to the regulation and harmonisation of national, regional and international social rapports, thanks to its scientific, technological, sociological, cultural and educational uses.

Unfortunately nowadays, the constituent elements of the main components of biological diversity, notably ecosystems, animal and plant species and genes, disappear at a rhythm that compromises the obligation made to all generations to bequeath this heritage in good state to future generations.

This first national monograph on the biological diversity of Burkina Faso globally aims at collecting and analysing ecological, biological, economic and social data that will permit to circumscribe the framework in which the development of the National Strategy and Plan of action concerning biological diversity must be undertaken.

In this view, the present document presents, first of all, a state of the art on the biological diversity in Burkina Faso, notably on the knowledge of its constituent elements, the scheduling of its management, the economic aspects that ensues and the threats that weigh on it, and next, draws up the important options able to encourage its conservation and sustainable use. This document draws up the existing potentialities and the major preoccupations of Burkina Faso in the matter of national biological diversity. It is the synthesis of nineteen (19) sectorial thematic studies on questions related to biological diversity and its support, which have been examined through broad discussions.

With its two (2) appendices, one on the systematic list of indexed species and the other on parameters pertaining to these species, the present national monograph is, in our sense, a strong instrument of information, education and orientation of actors and users of biological diversity, for the perpetuation, while doing the harmonious integration of actions related to natural resources, of the preliminary conditions to reach the objective of sustainable human development.

We count on the commitment and determination of all, to reverse the deteriorating tendency of the biological heritage of Burkina Faso.

OUAGADOUGOU, FEBRUARY 1999,

Salif DIALLO
MINISTER OF STATE
MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT AND WATER