Environmental Impact of the Real Estate Companies Boom in the Central Region, Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso)

Abstract

Aims: Impact of the real estate companies’ boom on the environment in the central region of Burkina Faso (Ouagadougou) and solutions to resorb the negative effects of the activity. Study Design: The present study was run via the Problem-In-Context framework along with the Hydro-Quebec environmental assessment design. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted in Burkina Faso, for the Environment department of Fada N’Gourma University for twelve months. Methodology: The environmental impact of the project was assessed according to Hydro-Quebec group method by prioritizing the inventory items regarding to their sensitivity. Results: Burkina Faso revised Law No. 034 on agrarian and land reorganization (RAF) on July 2, 2012. This revision allowed the population to be landowners, generating a boom in Real Estate development with the sale of big surfaces of lands by landowners. This boom is not without impacts on the environment. It leads to the destruction of forests, loss of biodiversity, loss of agricultural production areas, threats to green spaces conservation areas, anarchic occupation of lands, etc.  by real estate companies and the non-ecological urbanization of the city of Ouagadougou. The anthropogenic and climatic constraints with which Burkina Faso is confronted generate strong pressure on the existing natural resources: soil, fauna, flora, water, etc. Conclusion: The Burkinabe capital is about to engulf all the surrounding municipalities of Komki Ipala, Komsilga, Koubri, Loumbila, Pabré, Saaba and Tanghin-Dassouri. The main ways to reduce the environmental impacts of this real estate boom are the registration of agricultural production and conservation areas and the revision of the RAF in order to remove the right of land owning to the population.