This country brief aims to give an overview and a first introduction to Burkina Faso and its forests. The forthcoming investments in reducing deforestation could play a role in efforts to mitigate as well as to adapt to climate change. These investments hold the potential to make a difference in the livelihoods of the country’s many poor. This makes Burkina Faso and its forest sector a subject for research of immediate importance and relevance to stakeholders working to reduce poverty not only in Burkina Faso, but in many other dry countries with similarly high deforestation, high poverty and high forest dependency rates. This short briefing paper anticipates the more detailed case study work by Focali, which will focus on REDD-readiness and livelihoods in Burkina Faso from both social and natural science perspectives.

It can be downloaded here