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1. Introduction
Despite several efforts undertaken at international, national and local levels, agricultural productivity is still relying on rainfall patterns in Burkina Faso (BF) (Hesse et al., 2013). The performance of agriculture in the country is frequently hindered by water scarcity due to climate risks, especially by recurrent droughts, flood and higher temperature (IPCC, 2014; Sarr, 2012; Barbier et al., 2009). In fact, rainfall declines and evaporation directly result in a decrease in water bodies at more than 2 m per year, whereas groundwater levels may fall down between 0.5 and 0.6 m during the dry season in the country (Ibrahim et al., 2015; Sandwidi, 2007). Demonfaucon (2011) mentioned that small reservoirs are more vulnerable to flood insofar, as many of them are destroyed whenever flood occurs (18 small reservoirs have been damaged by the 1994 and 2009 floods). The consequence is that yield decreased by 32.3 per cent in dry years and food insecurity spreads out over the whole country from year to year. Under future climate compulsion, agricultural productivity is therefore likely to fall down, amplifying food insecurity and migration in the area (IPCC, 2012; UNEP, 2012). Many studies reported that an increase in temperature, changes in rainfall regime and extreme event intensities and frequencies can cause decrease in agricultural water (AgWater) availability in Burkina Faso (Ibrahim et al., 2014; Henry et al., 2004). Subsequent consequences of that situation will include water shortage in water bodies and their overuse, changes in optimal farming lands and decrease in yields and people’s livelihood (Kemp-Benedict et al., 2011). These adverse and much debated drawbacks from climate risks and change (CR&C) suggest elaborating and implementing new frameworks for actions which will be able to reinforce Water Resources (WR) resilience. In addition, uncertainties in rainfall in Burkina Faso (Ibrahim et al., 2014) command not only enhancing the current strategies, policies and processes for preventing and managing climate effects but also guarantee sustained adaptation. At this end, “no regret” options that yield socio-economic benefits even in absence of expected climate effects (Hallegatte, 2009) are likely to help achieve this goal.
Using an innovative approach adapted to the Sahelian context, this paper aims at proposing, for the very first time for...