Several government institutions in Burkina Faso already possess the capacity to work with and technology such as global navigation satellite systems (GNSS), satellite imagery and geographical information systems (GIS). Many institutions already receive in one or the other way satellite-derived data in the form of NDVI or meteorological information.
However, the National Council for Emergency Relief and Rehabilitation (CONASUR does not have a formalized information system nor uses modern technologies such as GIS to carry out its functions.
The Ministry of Health operates a fast and efficient information flow system targeting potential epidemics linking villages in rural areas and the Ministry of Health in Ouagadougou via health posts and regional offices.
The Government of Burkina Faso is developing a multi-risk contingency plan. The plan is being prepared by the Government with relevant stakeholders, although without the participation of the Permanent Secretariat of the Council for Environment and Sustainable Development (SP/CONEDD), and points out the information need for early warning and emergency response. However, in its present draft version, this plan fails to point out the potential of space-based technology and information for disaster management other than a reference to the usual hydro-meteorological data already in use.
The Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWSNET) country office in Burkina Faso receives regular information on the development of the vegetative cover in the form of NDVI (Normalized Differenced Vegetation Index) data, derived from AVHRR sensor (NOAA), as well as other climate and vegetation related datasets. The data is processed by NASA and USGS and delivered to FEWSNET in a ready-to-use GIS format. At the regional level, there is a collaboration between FEWSNET and AGRHYMET.
SP/CONEDD, which is part of the Ministry of Environment, implements the Programme Nationale de Gestion de l’Information sur le Milieu (PNGIM). PNGIM is a network of over 30 institutions, mainly governmental and academic, including CONASUR, IGB, DM and DGPSA. Its main objective is to promote the use of information, specifically geo-information, for environmental management by improving accessibility and adopting common data standards to improve compatibility.
Currently no Government institution is in the position to activate the International Charter: Space and Major Disasters.