Small reservoirs, landscape changes and water quality in sub-saharan West Africa

Cecchi Philippe, Forkuor Gerald, Cofie Olufunke, Lalanne Franck, Poussin Jean Christophe, Jamin Jean-Yves. 2020. Small reservoirs, landscape changes and water quality in sub-saharan West Africa. Water, 12 (7):1967, 25 p.

https://doi.org/10.3390/w12071967

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Quartile : Q2, Sujet : ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES / Quartile : Q2, Sujet : WATER RESOURCES

Résumé : Small reservoirs (SRs) are essential water storage infrastructures for rural populations of Sub-Saharan West Africa. In recent years, rapid population increase has resulted in unprecedented land use and land cover (LULC) changes. Our study documents the impacts of such changes on the water quality of SRs in Burkina Faso. Multi-temporal Landsat images were analyzed to determine LULC evolutions at various scales between 2002 and 2014. Population densities were calculated from downloaded 2014 population data. In situ water samples collected in 2004/5 and 2014 from selected SRs were analyzed for Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM) loads, an integrative proxy for water quality. The expansion of crop and artificial areas at the expense of natural covers controlled LULC changes over the period. We found a very significant correlation between SPM loads and population densities calculated at a watershed scale. A general increase between the two sampling dates in the inorganic component of SPM loads, concomitant with a clear expansion of cropland areas at a local scale, was evidenced. Results of the study suggest that two complementary but independent indicators (i.e., LULC changes within 5-km buffer areas around SRs and demographic changes at watershed scale), relevantly reflected the nature and intensity of overall pressures exerted by humans on their environment, and locally on aquatic ecosystems. Recommendations related to the re-greening of peripheral areas around SRs in order to protect water bodies are suggested.

Mots-clés Agrovoc : réservoir d'eau, qualité de l'eau, stockage d'eau, changement dans l'usage des terres, changement de couvert végétal

Mots-clés géographiques Agrovoc : Afrique au sud du Sahara, Burkina Faso

Mots-clés libres : Small reservoirs, Sub-Saharan Africa, Anthropogenic pressures, Water quality

Classification Agris : P10 - Ressources en eau et leur gestion

Champ stratégique Cirad : CTS 5 (2019-) - Territoires

Agences de financement européennes : European Commission

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