Adapting to climate risks in the Sahel: Strategies for smallholder farmers in Niger
This project discusses the impacts of climate change on agriculture in Niger, a country highly vulnerable to climate risks. Agriculture, which significantly contributes 40% to Niger’s GDP and employs over 80% of the population, faces severe challenges from recurring droughts, floods, and rising temperatures. These climate risks jeopardize crop yields, livestock productivity, and food security, exacerbating existing issues of malnutrition and poverty. The project reviews current adaptation practices, such as land restoration and crop diversification, and finds them insufficient for the scale of challenges. It proposes strategies including improving cropping systems with climate-resilient varieties, enhancing water management through rainwater harvesting and small-scale irrigation, and implementing conservation agriculture. The project also advocates adopting agroecological approaches and strengthening livestock systems through diversification, transhumance, breed improvement, and climate risk insurance. To build more climate-resilient agriculture, it highlights the need for increased investment, better climate information access, and stronger institutional support and partnerships.