Information about farmers’ perceptions of climate change and their adaptation strategies is needed for developing regional climate change adaptation plans for rural areas. This study was conducted in rural communities in the semi-arid Fakara region of Niger. The objectives were to identify the major effects of climate change and their impacts on the rural communities, adaptation strategies of the rural communities, and difficulties in using natural signs to predict the onset of the rainy season. Data were collected using participatory research tools. Farmers stated that the climate is becoming hotter and drier, and with more variability in rainfall. The major effects of climate change were drought, strong winds and floods. The major impacts were higher mortality of crop plants, insufficient pasture plants, increased parasites, eroded and crusted soils, destruction of habitat, and loss of livestock.
We assessed a restoration treatment (planting tree seedlings and sowing grass seeds as nurse plants in waterharvesting half-moon pits) on degraded, compacted soils with surface crusts in Niger. Height and above-ground biomass of herbaceous plant species, tree stem circumference, and relative cover of erosive crust, gravel crust, bare ground, rock, litter, and total vascular plants were assessed at three sites with similar environmental conditions but different treatment periods (3, 5, 7 years). Species richness, evenness and Shannon-Weaver index were lowest at the 7-year site and highest at the 5-year site. Above-ground biomass of herbaceous plants and percent plant cover were lowest at the 3-year site and highest at the 7-year site.