ABSTRACTCase studies on desertification in northern Burkina Faso, in the Western Sahel, using satellite-aided ground navigation technology, have shown that a noticeable environmental degradation took place from the late 1960s to 1990. Analyses of aerial photographs and satellite images indicate that the most severe land degradation occurred during the first of a series of droughts, which started in the late 1960s, when large areas with bare ground developed. Despite increased rainfall since 1985, the areas with bare ground have not recovered. The main cause is to be found in a combination of human impact and of repeated droughts.