Many of the families who farm small, unirrigated plots in the tropics already struggle against poverty, degraded land, and rainfall that varies from year to year. This type of farming, sometimes called rainfed agriculture, is especially vulnerable to climate change. This guide is part of set, Preparing Smallholder Farm Families to Adapt to Climate Change, written for development practitioners working in the agriculture sector. The concepts, information and practices in these guides are meant to support work with farm families and to help reduce their risks from weather changes.

This photo essay was created by USAID in Exposure. It highlights the work USAID’s Office of Food for Peace, which has partnered since 2012 with Catholic Relief Services to improve rural households’ resilience to recurrent shocks, such as droughts and floods, and reduce food insecurity in Niger’s Maradi and Zinder regions. The partnership uses a multi-pronged approach to strengthen agriculture, livelihoods, health, education and other sectors, benefiting about 600,000 people.

States with high exposure to climate hazards face multi-faceted challenges, including physical and livelihood risks for the population that may force states to redirect scarce resources to adaptation or humanitarian response efforts and strain the capacity of states that, in many cases, are still solidifying democratic institutions and mechanisms for meeting public needs.