WHAT WE DO

Water is necessary for agriculture.  Better water management allows communities to sustain or even improve the quantity and quality of their water sources, which means higher crop yields and healthier animals. 
In the development sector, agriculture and water have traditionally been viewed as separate areas of intervention. Yet water and agriculture activities are becoming more and more interdependent. Changing climate patterns threaten rain-fed agriculture, while desertification negatively affects agricultural production in vulnerable semi-arid zones. Agricultural runoff, livestock use and other pollutions decrease water quality. In turn, waterborne diseases, poor hygiene and inadequate sanitation decrease productivity of agriculture-based households. Conflicts over water and other natural resources are increasingly affecting agriculture-based populations. 

HOPE FOR BURKINA FUTURES is addressing those concerns by working to better integrate water concerns into agriculture and environmental activities.

HOW WE DO IT

• Environmentally sustainable programs : Our work emphasizes activities that contribute to the livelihoods of beneficiaries while taking the greater environment into account. We promote holistic, watershed-based programming.
• Education and preparedness: We work with communities to show the multiple uses of water for both domestic (drinking, cooking, sanitation, personal hygiene, household cleanliness) and productive (irrigation, livestock, fish ponds, small industries) purposes.  We try to reduce the risks of environmental and human-caused emergencies through water, sanitation and hygiene programming. 
• Emphasize links to agro-enterprise and community: We show comprehensive community management of water resources is key. With good use of water, there is increased household access to nutrition, proper use of potable water and more agricultural outputs. When farmers increase production, farmer groups organize, innovate and compete in markets. In addition, management of water and natural resources allows communities to prepare for, mitigate and cope with disasters.