Bangr-Wéoogo Urban Park — A 265-Hectare Sahelian Forest Refuge in Ouagadougou, Now Fraying from Neglect

Bangr-Wéoogo ("forest of knowledge") is a 265-hectare classified forest in the centre of Ouagadougou, capital of Burkina Faso, a city of more than one million people. Originally managed as a protected forest under the Ministry of Environment and Water and Forests, it was handed over to the Commune of Ouagadougou in 2001 and reopened as an urban park.

A peer-reviewed phytosociological survey based on 227 vegetation relevés recorded 327 plant species — 117 woody and 210 herbaceous — organised into 11 distinct plant communities dominated by Soudano-Zambesian and pantropical flora, making it one of the best-documented urban forest ecosystems in the Sahel.

Public interest in the park grew sharply after its 2001 reopening: a peer-reviewed study of recreation-conservation trade-offs in the park found annual visits rose from roughly 30,000 in 2002 to more than 300,000 by 2013.

More recently, however, reporting by the Burkinabè outlet leFaso.net found the park's lawn irrigation taps had stopped working, grasslands were desiccated, litter had accumulated near the main entrance, and daily visits had fallen to an estimated 275 — an honest sign that formal classified-forest status has not guaranteed consistent day-to-day management or funding.

Read the full analysis: https://ojs.ub.uni-frankfurt.de/fvss/index.php/fvss/article/view/5