Climate change, land-use intensification, and agroforestry management are key drivers of soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics in Sub-Saharan Africa, yet their combined effects remain poorly understood. Using a hierarchical space-for-time substitution approach, we analysed 1,440 soil samples from protected areas, fallows, and croplands across four climatic zones spanning a humid-to-semi-arid gradient in Ghana and Burkina Faso. We also assessed the role of tree canopy cover on SOC stocks and soil properties. Climate was the dominant driver of SOC dynamics, explaining 26.3% of the variation in topsoil SOC, while the interaction between climate and land-use accounted for 34% of the variation in total SOC stocks. The effects of land-use intensification increased along the aridity gradient, causing substantial SOC depletion in croplands within dry sub-humid and semi-arid zones, likely due to red...

Population growth and climate change are putting drinking water resources at risk, making groundwater a key solution to these challenges. In Burkina Faso, more than 80% of the geology consists of crystalline bedrock, which necessitates the search for bedrock aquifers for water supply. The complexity of these aquifers has led to numerous unsuccessful water drillings. Electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) profiles were therefore conducted in the cities of Loumbila and Ziniaré using the resistivity-meter SYSCAL Pro system, in a Wenner-Schlumberger configuration, to better identify the characteristics of potential aquifer zones. ERT field measurements use a series of electrodes spaced 5 m apart to measure electrical resistivity along the profile. The inversion results are presented as cross-sections showing the distribution of the subsurface’s true resistivity as a function of depth along...

This study presents an integrated geostatistical and multivariate clustering framework to characterize hydrogeological variability across 261 boreholes in the crystalline basement aquifers of Burkina Faso. Spatial autocorrelation analysis based on Moran’s I indicates significant spatial dependence for borehole depth (I = 0.088, p = 0.0059) and static water level (I = 0.063, p = 0.0336), whereas discharge exhibits no significant spatial autocorrelation (I = −0.032, p = 0.7847). Hierarchical agglomerative clustering identifies two complementary organizational scales: a functional hydrogeological classification into three clusters (k = 3, s = 0.3045), corresponding to regolith reservoirs, hydrodynamically constrained media, and high-yielding structural fractures, and a broader macro-spatial regionalization into two clusters (k = 2, s = 0.4978). This scale-dependent organization highlights t...

La gestion des risques financiers sur les marchés émergents d’Afrique de l’Ouest, en particulier à la Bourse Régionale des Valeurs Mobilières (BRVM), requiert des outils de modélisation sophistiqués capables de capturer la structure de dépendance complexe entre les rendements des actifs. Cette étude propose une évaluation comparative du risque de portefeuille constitué de trente actifs de la BRVM à travers l’utilisation des copules Archimax (Clayton, Gumbel et Frank) et de la copule Gaussienne. Sur la base des rendements journaliers observés sur la période 2020–2025, nous estimons les paramètres des différentes copules par la méthode du maximum de vraisemblance canonique, puis nous calculons les mesures de risque Value-at-Risk (VaR) et Conditional Value-at-Risk (CVaR) pour des portefeuilles optimisés. Les résultats permettent d’identifier la copule qui capture le mieux la dépendance de...

This article analyzes monthly and seasonal spatial trends in drought within Burkina Faso using the Rainfall Anomaly Index (RAI). Rainfall data from the Burkina National Meteorological Agency (1991–2023) were processed using the R package ‘precinctcon’ and hydroTSM. Trends were then evaluated using Spearman’s Rho (SR) tests and Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) interpolation. The results demonstrated a seasonally differentiated distribution of droughts. While drought dominates the pre-wet season; a distinct wet phase occurs during the peak rainy months of July and August. In contrast, the post-wet season, exhibits fluctuating wet and drought periods. RAI values reflect high inter-seasonal variability, showing that rainfall is concentrated into only a few months. This exposes different regions of Burkina Faso to greater risks of drought. This concentration increases drought risk across vari...

This paper proposes a unified framework combining Extreme Value Theory (EVT) and nonlinear partial differential equations to model financial returns on the BRVM. We conjecture a link between the EVT tail index ξ and the p-Laplacian exponent p: ξ=1/(p−1) . The conjecture is motivated by a heuristic boundary layer analysis (which suggests ξ=1/p ) but empirical fit on 20 BRVM assets unambiguously yields ξ=1/(p−1) . Using independent numerical estimation of p (via the SBA method) and ξ (via GPD), we find excellent agreement. Results show strong heterogeneity across sectors, with agriculture exhibiting the heaviest tails (ξ up to 0.56) and violation of mean reversion. A stress-testing grid is proposed for regulators.

Background: Flemingia faginea is a riparian species restricted to riverbanks and currently facing population decline. Its limited natural regeneration results from the combined effects of climate variability and anthropogenic disturbances. Ethnobotanical surveys serve as a vital bridge between scientific and local knowledge, supporting sustainable management and conservation. This study aimed to explore endogenous knowledge and practices related to F. faginea. Methods: Data were collected from 205 respondents using simple random sampling to ensure an unbiased representation of local knowledge. A semi-structured interview based on a questionnaire was conducted with populations living near the Tiogo and Bontioli classified forests, which are home to the species. The data collected focused on sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge of the plant, its parts, areas of use, threats, sol...

The links between women's empowerment and their reproductive health remain complex due to persistent challenges in defining empowerment and its various components, as well as the factors shaping it in different contexts. These difficulties also stem from the inability to conceptualize reproductive empowerment as an independent process that both reflects and shapes broader empowerment dynamics. This study, based on data from the Performance Monitoring for Action (PMA) research platform in Burkina Faso, aims to assess the validity of a multidimensional measure of agency specifically adapted to reproductive health in the Burkinabe context. This measure consists of two key dimensions: motivation—the ability to define reproductive goals—and self-efficacy—the ability to act on them. It explores women's decision-making autonomy in two key areas of reproductive health: family planning and sexual...

Solenostemon rotundifolius, an indigenous West African tuber crop known as “fabirama”, faces production challenges due to climate variability. Farmers lack knowledge regarding genotype-by-planting date interactions, which limits yield and crop cycle optimization. Therefore, this study evaluated the stability of yield and cycle, two critical agronomic traits. Twelve accessions were tested using a randomized complete block design with three replications across three distinct planting dates. Fourteen quantitative traits linked to canopy, leaf size, cycle, and yield were recorded. The two-way analysis of variance revealed significant genotype-planting date interactions for most traits. Furthermore, AMMI and GGE biplot models demonstrated that planting dates, genotypes, and their interaction significantly influenced tuber production and cycle length. Planting date had a higher mean square mag...

Aims: To assess the hygiene practices, socio-economic determinants, and microbiological quality of Koura koura skewers sold in three cities of Burkina Faso, and to examine the relationships among vendor knowledge, socio-economic status, observed hygiene practices, and product contamination. Study Design: A cross-sectional study combining a vendor questionnaire survey and direct observation of hygiene practices with microbiological analysis of product samples. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted in three cities of Burkina Faso: Kaya and Korsimoro (Kuilsé region, in the north-central part of the country) and Ziniaré (Oubri region, in the central part of the country), between August and September 2025. Methodology: A structured questionnaire and observation grid were administered to 78 Koura koura skewer vendors (36 in Kaya, 18 in Korsimoro, and 24 in Ziniaré) using a co...