Journal of Experimental Agriculture International

Climate change affects agricultural production, on which 80% of rural communities in sub-Saharan Africa depend for their livelihoods. In the Lake Chad Basin, recent fluctuations in hydro-climatic conditions have compromised crop yields and food security, severely affecting smallholder farmers’ well-being. Enhancing their adaptive capacity and resilience is therefore essential for sustainable development. This study assesses smallholder farmers’ vulnerability to climate change-induced extreme weather events in rural areas of the Lake Chad Basin using the Livelihood Vulnerability Index (LVI). Data were collected through questionnaire surveys of 200 farming households across four villages in the Diffa region of Niger. The LVI was calculated using nine components: sociodemographic profile, education and housing, livelihood strategy, social networks, food, water resources, health, land resources, and disasters and climate variability. Results showed that farmers in Kangarwa were the most vulnerable (LVI = 0.58), while those in Boulangou were the least vulnerable (0.51). Digargo and Mamari had similar vulnerability levels (0.55 and 0.56, respectively). Overall, farmers in all four villages were moderately vulnerable. Kangarwa’s higher vulnerability was mainly associated with social networks (0.81), livelihood strategy (0.75), and land resources (0.75). In Boulangou, low vulnerability was linked to water resources (0.12) and sociodemographic conditions (0.35), although land (0.69), livelihood strategy (0.67), and food (0.65) increased vulnerability. These findings can inform interventions to strengthen smallholder farmers’ resilience. Diversifying livelihoods and adopting climate-smart agriculture technologies could enhance adaptive capacity and reduce vulnerability in highly affected areas.