Prestación de servicios fiables de agua potable en el suroeste de Burkina Faso

Across parts of south-western Burkina Faso, reliable access to safe drinking water has remained under strain. In many areas, ageing infrastructure, limited production capacity, and rising demand have made it harder for water systems to keep pace, leading to recurring shortages and interruptions in service. For affected communities, this has shaped everyday life in practical ways, from uncertainty around household access to the wider health and social pressures that come with an unreliable supply.

The Approvisionnement en Eau Potable et Assainissement – AEPA-4R programme was developed in response to these challenges. Led by the National Office for Water and Sanitation (ONEA), with support from German development cooperation through BMZ/KfW and in coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture, Water, Animal and Fisheries Resources, the programme is designed to sustainably improve access to drinking water and sanitation in 16 small and medium-sized towns across the Bankui (previously Boucle du Mouhoun), Tanunyan (previously Cascades), Guiriko (previously Hauts-Bassins) and Djôrô (previously South-West) regions. Backed by total financing of nearly CFA 31 billion, including CFA 1.7 billion from the State, it combines infrastructure investment with a broader effort to make supply systems more reliable and resilient under growing climatic and demographic pressure, while also supporting longer-term, sustainable management of water resources.

Within this wider programme, the current investment phase represents an overall volume of approximately €40 million and is expected, once fully implemented, to provide more reliable drinking water services to around 800,000 people. GOPA Tech GmbH serves as consultant to ONEA during implementation, supporting the programme through feasibility studies, preliminary anddetailed engineering design, tender documents, assistance during tendering, construction supervision, and the development and execution of accompanying measures.

To date, the programme has already produced visible results across multiple towns. In 12 cities, 42 boreholes have been drilled, helping to increase the availability of drinking water and reinforce local supply systems. Niangoloko has also seen a substantial extension of its water infrastructure, with 65 km of piping laid, 2,100 private connections installed, and 8 standpipes brought into service. Alongside these physical investments, a hygiene awareness programme has been rolled out in all beneficiary towns to promote good practices and help ensure that the infrastructure delivers lasting benefits over time.

Strengthening Water Production and Distribution Systems

A major milestone was recently marked with the inauguration of new water supply infrastructure serving Banfora and Bérégadougou. The works significantly expand both production and distribution capacity, helping to address long-standing supply constraints in the area.

The new infrastructure includes raw water transmission pipelines, a water treatment plant, storage facilities with a total capacity of 1,650 cubic metres, and a 178-kilometre extension of the distribution network, all of which strengthen the operational capacity of ONEA’s water supply system. Before the project, production capacity in Banfora stood at around 200 cubic metres per hour. With the new facilities in operation, this has increased to more than 600 cubic metres per hour, giving the system much greater capacity to respond to rising demand in Banfora and surrounding communities.

In Banfora and Bérégadougou, the completed works make the project’s impact especially tangible. The drinking water treatment plant has been rehabilitated and extended to a capacity of 600 m³/h or more, while a raw water supply system has been built from the SN-SOSUCO canal. In terms of storage, Banfora now has an 850 m³ reinforced concrete reservoir and a 500 m³ water tower built on a 17-metre structure, while Bérégadougou has gained a 300 m³ water tower on a 15-metre structure. Water distribution has been strengthened through the 178 km network extension, the installation of 2,865 private connections, and the addition of 26 standpipes. The companies DENYS NV and PPI/CGC were involved in delivering these works. On the social and environmental side, 1,003 affected people were compensated, no major complaints or traffic accidents were reported, and a reforestation plan was validated and implemented alongside measures to improve land management.

During the visit to the installations, the responsible Minister welcomed both the speed of implementation and the quality of the works, noting that the authorities were “truly satisfied” with what had been delivered. He also underlined the practical significance of the improvements, stating that there should “no longer be water shortages or supply cuts” in Banfora and surrounding villages, while pointing to the importance of the newly installed public standpipes for communities in areas not yet fully developed. Representatives of German cooperation likewise described the investment as a long-term, structuring intervention, calling it “a structuring investment — a foundational infrastructure project” designed to support durable water supply over the years ahead.

The visit also included the water intake near the domes of Fabédougou as well as several newly installed public standpipes, which now provide essential access points in neighborhoods where household connections are not yet available.

Mejorar el acceso al agua para las comunidades locales

La importancia del proyecto no radica solo en la envergadura de la infraestructura, sino en la diferencia que supone en el día a día de las personas y las comunidades. En zonas donde el acceso era limitado o poco fiable, conseguir agua solía suponer tiempo, esfuerzo e incertidumbre. Con la ampliación de la red de distribución y la instalación de nuevas fuentes públicas, ahora hay agua disponible más cerca de donde vive la gente. Esto reduce la carga diaria que supone el abastecimiento y hace que el acceso sea más fiable para los hogares que antes no contaban con un servicio adecuado.

En Banfora y Bérégadougou, unas 187 000 personas se benefician directamente de las inversiones. La ampliación de la capacidad de producción, las nuevas conexiones domésticas, las fuentes públicas adicionales y un suministro más seguro están contribuyendo a mejorar la fiabilidad de los servicios de agua potable en ambas localidades. Los beneficios más amplios del proyecto se extienden también a escuelas, centros de salud, grupos de mujeres y comités de gestión locales, vinculando las mejoras de infraestructura con un mayor apoyo comunitario y con iniciativas de sensibilización.

El proyecto también ha reforzado la resiliencia de los sistemas de abastecimiento de agua frente a las presiones relacionadas con el clima. La participación activa de los municipios y el fortalecimiento de las capacidades locales contribuyen a la gestión sostenible de la infraestructura, mientras que las medidas de apoyo social, incluida la indemnización a las personas afectadas y la gestión de las reclamaciones, han ayudado a fomentar la aceptación por parte de la comunidad. Los representantes de la ONEA destacaron que el aumento de la capacidad de producción y la ampliación de la red permitirán que el sistema proporcione un suministro más estable y fiable en Banfora y Bérégadougou, reafirmando el compromiso de la empresa de satisfacer las necesidades locales y señalando que «la capacidad de la ONEA es más que suficiente para abastecer de agua a la población».

El proyecto también pone de relieve una dimensión de las infraestructuras hídricas que va más allá de la mera prestación de servicios. El acceso fiable al agua potable favorece unas condiciones de vida más saludables, reduce la exposición a enfermedades transmitidas por el agua y mejora la higiene doméstica. Los beneficios se perciben más allá del punto de acceso: un suministro de agua potable más fiable contribuye a la salud pública, ayuda a mantener los medios de vida locales y mejora la vida cotidiana de forma tangible.

A Partnership Supporting Sustainable Infrastructure

The programme reflects close cooperation between national institutions and international development partners working to strengthen essential public services. German development cooperation contributed nearly 23 billion CFA francs toward the project, supporting investments in water infrastructure designed to meet both current and future demand. As representatives noted during the visit, the works are intended not simply as an immediate response, but as infrastructure planned with durability in view — “looking ahead 5, 10, even 15 years” to help ensure long-term water supply. Within the programme, GOPA Tech provides technical support and expertise, contributing to the implementation of sustainable and reliable water supply systems across the project area.

Sentar las bases para un acceso más fiable

En conjunto, las inversiones del programa AEPA-4R en el suroeste de Burkina Faso representan algo más que la ampliación de las infraestructuras hídricas. Demuestran cómo la inversión en servicios públicos puede traducirse en mejoras tangibles que la población percibe en su vida cotidiana: un acceso más fiable, agua más limpia, menos tiempo dedicado a su recogida y mejores condiciones para la salud y el bienestar.

A medida que el programa avanza en su ámbito geográfico más amplio, las obras finalizadas en Banfora, Bérégadougou y Niangoloko ofrecen un claro ejemplo de lo que pueden hacer posible unos sistemas de abastecimiento de agua reforzados. Más allá de la propia infraestructura, apuntan a un servicio público más fiable y a beneficios duraderos para las comunidades que dependen de él. Por lo tanto, el proyecto constituye un modelo útil para iniciativas similares a nivel nacional.