Conflict to consensus: replacing rivalry with effective resource management in Burkina Faso

For over a hundred years the zone of Kisha Beiga, in Burkina Faso, was plagued by ethnic conflicts, revolution and political anarchy. Local rivalries and administrative chaos put paid to any efforts to manage natural resources efficiently. Then, in 1991, the Burkinabe Sahel Programme (PSB) set out to quell factional rivalry and establish sustainable resource-management in the area. A fragile consensus has been achieved, but it has not been easy. Leadership conflicts, land tenure issues and administrative anomalies have threatened to derail the project. This PSB-GTZ case-study traces the history of the PSB from its inception, examining the early setbacks, their subsequent resolution, and the current balance of interests in the zone.