Groundwater is a vital water supply for local populations and ecosystems globally. With the continuous population growth, the anthropic pressure on groundwater is ever increasing, thus reducing the amount of available water resource. Yet, estimating the impact of anthropogenic activities on aquifer recharge is still a significant challenge for research, especially in basement aquifers. This study aims to improve the actual knowledge of deep drainage and deep aquifer recharge pathways and dynamics in the basement as affected by land use/land cover (LULC). The methodology used in this study accounted for hydraulic processes in soil layers within both unsaturated and saturated zones in an integrated approach. An experimental setup consisting of three (3) experimental plots, respectively under natural vegetation (NV), cropped millet (CM) and cropped groundnut (CG) on which deep drainage was monitored during the years 2020 and 2021. The results show significant differences between the LULC types after two years of implementation. Deep drainage is improved under CM and CG plots located in the central valley, as compared to the NV plot located in the ridge zone. Deep drainage is estimated at 8%, 24% and 25% of the annual rainfall, respectively for NV, CM and CG. The ratio between the recharge value obtained by the water table fluctuation (WTF) method and the deep drainage tends to 1 for the CM and CG plots, highlighting a rapid water transfer between unsaturated and saturated zones. The central valley, which seems to be a preferential recharge pathway, provides promising insights under specific conditions for the implementation of artificial recharge infrastructures.

This study focuses on the Sirba River Basin (SRB), a transboundary West African catchment of 38,950 km² shared by Burkina Faso and Niger, which contributes to flooding downstream in Niamey (Niger). The study uses the HEC-HMS hydrological model to explore the dynamics of the daily rainfall–runoff relationship over the period 2006–2020. The model is calibrated using observed rainfall at 13 meteorological stations within the river basin and observed discharges at the Garbey Kourou hydrometric station outlet. Two types of simulation are compared: (i) a continuous simulation (CS) over the period 2006–2020 and (ii) an event-based simulation (ES) using selected major flood events in 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2020. The results showed satisfactory model performance under both modeling schemes (R² = 0.84–0.87 for CS and R² = 0.94–0.98 for ES), with a superior performance of ES over CS. Also, significant differences in the distribution of calibrated model parameters for the percent impervious and the attenuation flood wave factor were observed. A sensitivity analysis revealed that the curve number, initial abstraction, lag time and routing time factors were influential on the model outputs. The study therefore underscores the model’s robustness and contributes crucial insights for flood control management and infrastructure planning in the SRB.

Every year, millions of dollars are invested in irrigation development in Sahelian African countries. After shifting from governmental organizations to non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the vulnerability of local populations has not changed much over the last 60 years in Africa. In this study, ten 1 ha small-scale irrigation systems—spread over the two driest climatic zones—were investigated in Burkina Faso. The soils and subsoils were characterized using double-ring infiltration measurements and two soil databases. The irrigation systems’ operability was assessed by sampling 10–12 farmers per system. A total of eight pumping tests were performed on a sample of wells. To assess the yield of cultivated onion, 5 to 7 squares were followed up in each of the 10 systems. Results indicated that water availability was ensured nowhere. The 32 wells were dug in clayey subsoils. Six of them yielded available water V_e flows ranging from 0.0 to 6.1 m³/day, far below the 80 m³/(ha·day) required by onion. To solve this issue, the NGOs shifted to a low-pressure drip irrigation solution, but the too-low pressure of 0.1 bar led to clogging. Ultimately, all 10 systems (except Louda) broke down a few months after the project’s end.

Water conservation in arid and semi-arid regions faces significant challenges due to low and irregular rainfall, worsened by climate change, which negatively affects rain-fed crop productivity. Various techniques, including supplemental irrigation using runoff harvesting ponds, aim to address these issues but often suffer from water loss due to infiltration, influenced by the pond liner type. This study uses a factorial analysis to assess the farmers’ perceptions of four pond sealing techniques. Using the Waso-2 method, a survey conducted in 2022 among 41 rainwater harvesting pond owners across three regions of Burkina Faso revealed that farmers prioritized impermeability and ease of maintenance over cost and availability. Concrete, scoring 16/20, was the most preferred, chosen by over 75% of farmers for its durability and resistance to weathering, despite its high cost. Geomembrane, with a score of 12/20, was valued for its waterproofing properties but had durability concerns. Clay, although cheap and available, scored 8/20 due to poor waterproofing on unstable ground. Bitumen, the least favored with a score of 6/20, was hindered by scarcity and lack of familiarity. To enhance supplemental irrigation in Burkina Faso and similar regions, waterproof concrete or durable geomembrane liners are recommended. Further research into improving bitumen and clay liners is also suggested. These findings provide key insights into farmers’ preferences, offering guidance for developing effective water conservation strategies to boost agricultural productivity and address food security challenges in the context of climate change.

The Central Sahel region faces an escalating terrorism crisis involving complex interactions between violent extremism and population displacement, compounded by climatic vulnerabilities affecting marginalized communities. This study develops a compartmental ordinary differential equation model capturing interactions between susceptible populations, active terrorist networks, and internally displaced persons, analyzed through stability analysis, bifurcation theory, and Sobol's global sensitivity analysis via extensive numerical simulations. The mathematical framework demonstrates well-posed structure with established existence and uniqueness properties, revealing that military interventions alone contribute less than twenty percent to sustainable terrorism reduction, while integrated approaches combining radicalization prevention and de-radicalization programs achieve over eighty percent effectiveness. The basic reproduction number $\mathcal{R}_0$ emerges as a critical threshold parameter with transcritical bifurcation at $\mathcal{R}_0 = 1$ delineating terrorism elimination from endemic persistence regimes, and time-dependent sensitivity analysis indicates optimal strategies require adaptive approaches transitioning from prevention focused early interventions to sustained rehabilitation programs. These findings provide quantitative support for counter-terrorism frameworks prioritizing socioeconomic development over purely military solutions, offering a pathway to sustainable stability in the Sahel.