The Impacts and Adaptations of Climate Change-induced Flood Disasters: Case Study of Burkina Faso

Abstract

Flooding occurs when water overflows from natural sources including storm surges, heavy rain, and quickly melting ice and snow, raising the water levels in rivers and lakes. Flood disaster is one of the most severe natural disasters affecting Burkina Faso, impacting thousands of people every year, damaging most crops planted by farmers. This study looked at the methodologies used to evaluate the risks of flooding, the causes and impacts of flood disasters in Burkina Faso, and future prediction and adaptation to flooding disasters in Burkina Faso. Through exploring the weather fluctuations, local farming practice, and construction methods, the study found that Burkina Faso floods are caused by both natural and human-induced factors. Reasons of intense flooding in Burkina Faso include harsh wet and dry seasons with erratic high precipitation, an inadequate drainage system, and widespread land use brought on by the country’s rapidly increasing population. The research compared the advantages and disadvantages of the most applied risk assessment methods. Future flood projections in Burkina Faso could benefit greatly from the application of techniques like mathematical statistics and machine learning, due to their economic efficiency, accuracy, and practicality. By assessing the urbanization approaches and the monoculture agriculture practice of Burkina Faso, recommendations of future flood management were presented. Along with limiting urbanization and population expansion, aquaponics and more tree planting could enhance people’s quality of life during future floods.