Environmental risks linked to cultural and pastoral practices on the banks of the ziga dam (burkina faso)

The practice of activities on the shores of the Ziga dam lake involves the use of products that may affect the quality of its water. The objective of this study is to assess the anthropic activities that may impact the quality of the water of the Ziga dam. In order to do so, surveys were conducted among market gardeners and breeders in order to know their working methods and their behaviour towards the resource. The results of the surveys showed that more than half of these two groups of users (78% of market gardeners and 54% of herders) have not attended school. With plots of land less than 50 m from the dam lake for 50% of the market gardeners, most of them (60%) use chemical fertilizers (NPK). Usually using moderately dangerous pesticides, 36% of them bury the leftovers in holes and 28% abandon them in the fields. As for packaging, 64% bury them in holes and 11% abandon them in the fields. The survey also revealed that 9% of market gardeners wash the application equipment at the dam and 30% wash it in the fields. As for livestock farmers, it was found that only 10% had received training in rangeland management methods. 90% of them have a mixed herd, while 10% have a herd consisting solely of cattle and 78% have livestock not exceeding 50 head. The survey notes that 42% of the farmers send their herds to the dam and 57% of them do so twice a day. It is concluded from this study that the activities of these two user groups are potential factors that could harm the biological health of this water body or even have consequences on human health. Consequently, the study recommends a physico-chemical diagnosis of this water body and the launching of an awareness campaign among these stakeholders.