In 2024, Burkina Faso is projected to face a humanitarian crisis affecting an estimated 6.3 million people due to protracted conflict and climate shocks. Armed terrorist groups affiliated with Jama'a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin and the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara have seized control of over numerous northern communities and crucial pastoral land, imposing movement restrictions and severing humanitarian access. In the northern provinces, isolated communities are grappling with extreme hunger exacerbated by drought-related water shortages and declines in livestock production and crop yields–a bleak picture of the challenges confronting similarly vulnerable communities across the Sahel. Against the backdrop of growing food insecurity, climate-smart agricultural innovations and technologies are critical in addressing challenges of local resilience and the needs of hard-to-reach communities.
The active conflict and blockades severely limit the humanitarian sector’s ability to provide aid to affected communities. With 80 percent of the Burkina Faso’s population dependent on agriculture, the public and private sectors must explore wider implementation of tools that improve outcomes for small-scale producers, like HungerMap, biofortication, hydroponic initiatives, drones for aerial remote sensing, and on-the-ground climate adaption and mitigation initiatives that address acute food insecurity risk. This panel convenes the U.S. government, UN agencies, and non-governmental organizations to discuss how technology and innovation can bolster food resilience amidst conflict in Burkina Faso.
To register to attend the Red Zone Conference, please visit: The Red Zone: Charting Paths to Resilience in the Climate-Conflict Nexus.
This event is made possible through the generous support of USAID.
