Burkina Faso: How President Ibrahim Traoré Is Building Roads Almost for Free With the Donou Method?

Written by Bruno Teles

Published on 28/04/2025 at 11:40

Updated on 28/04/2025 at 13:36

Método Donou: Presidente Ibrahim Traoré inova em estradas de Burkina Faso com técnica japonesa de baixo custo (sacos de terra). Confira! Fontes e conteúdo relacionado

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Under The Leadership Of President Ibrahim Traoré, Burkina Faso Adopts The Japanese Technique ‘Donou’ To Build Roads Economically And Sustainably, Empowering Local Communities.

Burkina Faso is implementing a new approach to building roads. Under the leadership of President Ibrahim Traoré, the country adopts the Japanese technique Donou. The method promises more sustainable and accessible roads. A collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) enables the initiative, which utilizes a low-cost, high-impact method.

Donou: The Japanese Technique That Revolutionizes Roads In Burkina Faso

Donou is a Japanese term. It means “to wrap earth in a sturdy bag.” The technique involves filling durable bags with local materials. It can be sand, soil, gravel, or firm earth. The opening of the bag is tightly secured. Then, the bags are compacted manually. It is a simple approach, but it is attracting attention in Africa for its potential.

The Initiative Of President Ibrahim Traoré

Donou: The Japanese Technique That Revolutionizes Roads In Burkina Faso

The implementation of Donou is the result of a collaboration. It involves the Ministry of Infrastructure of Burkina Faso and JICA. President Ibrahim Traoré fully supports the initiative. Between February 17 and 21, 2025, JICA conducted training.

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How Does The Donou Method Work?

The Japanese technique Donou (Doh-Noh) uses sturdy bags, such as those made from polypropylene, filled with locally available material – common earth, sand, or gravel, ideally with a little moisture. The bags are not completely filled, allowing them to be tightly closed (tied or sewn) and to mold during compaction, which is the next crucial step to provide structure to the material.

The secret of the method lies in the arrangement and manual compaction. The filled bags are carefully arranged in layers, often following an overlapping pattern (similar to bricklaying) to ensure greater stability and weight distribution. After positioning each layer, the bags are vigorously compacted using manual tools (tamper) or even foot stamping, eliminating air voids and transforming the bags into dense, firm blocks that will form the structure of the work.

Normally, this Donou bag structure serves as the base or sub-base of the road or as slope containment. It is almost always necessary to apply a wearing course on top (such as gravel, improved soil, or another simple pavement) for traffic. The great advantage is the low cost, the use of local labor and materials, the elimination of heavy machinery, and the surprising durability and resistance of the compacted structure, making it ideal for rural roads, repairs, and erosion control.

Expanding Donou With The Support Of President Ibrahim Traoré

Despite its potential, the widespread adoption of Donou faces challenges. It is necessary to expand training to all regions of the country. Ensuring consistent quality of materials is crucial. Adapting the technique to different types of terrain will be necessary.

The ongoing support from the government of President Ibrahim Traoré is essential to maintain progress. The strategy is to gradually broaden the initiative’s reach. The partnership with Japan provides a solid foundation. The goal is to consolidate Burkina Faso as a reference for sustainable infrastructure in Africa, inspiring other nations.

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Michael

#156434

09/08/2025 16:54

Hi, bruno. So how can pavements be plsced on top.? How does their methods with tires work? Would you like to see new methods of bamboo useage an parabolic dish mirrors? Just e me…

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Burkina Faso: How President Ibrahim Traoré Is Building Roads Almost for Free With the Donou Method?

Under The Leadership Of President Ibrahim Traoré, Burkina Faso Adopts The Japanese Technique ‘Donou’ To Build Roads Economically And Sustainably, Empowering Local Communities.

Donou: The Japanese Technique That Revolutionizes Roads In Burkina Faso

The Initiative Of President Ibrahim Traoré

How Does The Donou Method Work?

Expanding Donou With The Support Of President Ibrahim Traoré

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Burkina Faso: How President Ibrahim Traoré Is Building Roads Almost for Free With the Donou Method?

Under The Leadership Of President Ibrahim Traoré, Burkina Faso Adopts The Japanese Technique ‘Donou’ To Build Roads Economically And Sustainably, Empowering Local Communities.

Donou: The Japanese Technique That Revolutionizes Roads In Burkina Faso

The Initiative Of President Ibrahim Traoré

How Does The Donou Method Work?

Expanding Donou With The Support Of President Ibrahim Traoré

The Soviet Union spent 22 years drilling into the Earth’s crust and reached a depth of 12,262 meters — they found water where it was thought impossible, hydrogen bubbling from the rock, granite that is 2.7 billion years old, and temperatures of 180 degrees that melted the drill bits.

Norway is drilling 27 kilometers of rock 392 meters below the bottom of a fjord to build the world’s largest and deepest underwater road tunnel — when completed, a 21-hour journey will be reduced to 10.

Chinese engineers begin filling a 217-meter dam at an altitude of 3,000 meters and prepare a 2,240 MW hydroelectric power plant to integrate hydropower, solar, and wind energy in the upper Jinsha.

A German architect built a cylindrical house in 1994 that rotates to follow the sun throughout the day, generates 5 times more energy than it consumes, and was the world’s first energy-positive house.

An astronaut spent 340 days in space while his twin brother stayed on Earth, and NASA found a “rejuvenating” effect, genes, microbiome, cognition, and immune system that revealed the biological cost of living outside the planet.

The island that has 35 inhabitants and celebrates Christmas on January 6: the remote island of Foula lives in isolation, without internet and following Julius Caesar’s calendar for centuries.

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Scientists are studying GJ 1214 b, a planet 40 light-years away that may concentrate water on a much larger scale than Earth, and this “ocean world” helps to understand how to store, protect, and maintain the planet’s most valuable resource under extreme conditions.

Scientists are investigating Ganymede, a moon larger than Mercury that may hide a global ocean under kilometers of ice, containing more water than all of Earth’s oceans and transforming the largest satellite in the Solar System into a colossal, yet inaccessible, reservoir.

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