In Burkina Faso, forest areas are losing several hectares of their surface area every year as a result of anthropogenic pressures and climate change. The Kou watershed is no exception to this trend. The aim of this research is to assess the spatio-temporal dynamics of vegetation cover in the Kou watershed using Landsat images. To this end, Landsat TM, Landsat ETM+ and OLI 8 satellite images from September and March (1986 to 2021) were used. Operations on Envi 5.3, field validation output and finally mapping on ArcGIS were the steps. Discrimination was significant, with kappa coefficients of 0.76; 0.79; 0.88 and 0.88. From 1986 to 2001, open forests, gallery forests, wooded and grassy savannahs lost 4.76%, 22.24%, 23.47% and 14.74% of their area respectively. Between 2001 and 2017, the areas of gallery forest (33.53%) and wooded savannah (56.67%) declined. Between 2017 and 2021, wooded and grassy savannahs lost 25.36% and 34.54% of their area respectively. The area occupied by water has decreased considerably over the 35 years. However, during the same period, there has been an increase in areas of annual crops, irrigated crops and habitats. These results highlight the need to develop a sustainable management strategy for the watershed, given its enormous potential.

Knowledge of the characteristics of upland rice cultivation systems is a lever for the development of rice cultivation in Burkina Faso. This study aims to highlight the typology of upland rice cultivation systems in three localities: East, Hauts Bassins and Central Plateau regions of Burkina Faso. A survey was carried out among a sample of 293 producers in the localities concerned. The Multiple Correspondent Analysis identified three upland cultivation systems: the low-intensive Upland rice cultivation system with rotation (SCRPS1); the Intensive Upland Rice Cultivation System (SCRPS2) and the low-Intensive Upland Rice Cultivation System without rotation (SCRPS3). Elements that make it possible to distinguish the systems are: age, sex, level of education of the farmer, upland rice area, equipment, crop rotation, type, quantity and the number of fertilizers used in upland rice system. The practices of cropping systems differ from one locality to another. In short, the SCRPS1 type is the most practiced by producers and the SCRPS2 type with a high yield (2759.04 kg / ha) presents itself as an interesting prospect to promote for rice production generating income for an improvement of income women farmers.