OUAGADOUGOU – The Burkinabè government has announced a significant initiative to reconfigure the urban planning and development plans for five cities: Dori, Dédougou, Kaya, Fada N’Gourma, and Ouahigouya. This decision comes in response to the cities’ populations doubling over the past four years due to a massive influx of internally displaced persons (IDPs).

According to Burkina Information Agency, The Minister of Urban Planning, Land Affairs, and Housing presented a report to the Council, highlighting the situation in various towns and localities within Burkina Faso amidst ongoing security and humanitarian challenges. These areas, notably the cities of Dori, Dédougou, Kaya, Fada N’Gourma, and Ouahigouya, have experienced extraordinary demographic pressures due to the security crisis, leading to rapid and unplanned urbanization.

Since 2019, these cities have seen a dramatic increase in urbanization, with a 9.3 point rise in less than four years. This rapid growth has occurred without significant investments in urban services, placing a strain on existing infrastructure and resources. The urban hierarchy in Burkina Faso is also undergoing changes as cities and certain localities, not previously recognized as urban centers, are now accommodating large numbers of IDPs.

Demographic analyses reveal a pronounced discrepancy between the current situation and the projections made in the master plans for development and urban planning (SDAU), adopted by the Burkinabè Government between 2013 and 2014. These plans, based on pre-crisis diagnostic assumptions, did not anticipate such rapid population growth until at least 2030. However, the population of these five cities has already doubled, or more, since 2019.

The Council has recognized that the disparities between the SDAU forecasts and the current reality hinder the implementation of the originally planned development strategies. In response, the government has instructed the relevant ministers to establish an interministerial committee tasked with developing a strategic plan for urban reconfiguration. This initiative aims to address the challenges posed by the unforeseen population growth and ensure sustainable urban development in the face of the ongoing security and humanitarian crisis.