In 2012, Burkina Faso launched a comprehensive effort to develop a National Adaptation Plan (NAP). This case study explores Burkina Faso’s national process to formulate a medium- and long-term strategy for climate change adaptation, which in turn enabled the development of climate projections for Burkina Faso for 2021, 2050, and 2100, as well as the assessment of different sectors’ vulnerability to climate change. It made Burkina Faso one of the first five Least Developed Countries (LDCs) to have a NAP.

The formation of Burkina Faso’s NAP is a good practice because it is an appropriate framework enabling the joining of efforts to help the country reduce its structural vulnerability, increase its resilience, and better manage its socioeconomic and cultural development. It was developed through a consultative process mobilizing actors at different levels and is based on sectoral plans developed from analyses performed with actors from each sector. The vision held by the NAP also has a merit of seeking to promote the integration of climate change adaptation into development goals.

Key findings from the case study include:

• The participative and inclusive nature of the process helped ensure the relevance of adaptation strategies in different sectors.
• The monitoring and evaluation mechanism must be made effective by setting up data collection systems through agreements between institutions.
• Adaptation must not be approached in an isolated manner but should always be intersectoral.
• A greater availability of financial resources for the implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of NAPs, as well as their development, will be essential.