CO-BADEA-FAO Niger, a country of 1.267.000 square kilometres, has an agro-pastoral potential of 15 million hectares of farming land, 270,000 ha of irrigable land and 60 million ha of grazing lands. Water potential is estimated at 30 billion m3 of which the bulk is unfortunately very little valued. For example, only 6 million ha of potential agricultural areas are put into operation. This potential is distributed according to 3 eco-climate zones: (1) the Sudanian feasible  for    millet, sorghum, corn crops and peanutproduction, (2) the Sahelian area feasible for range and animal production; (3) and the Saharan area, largely desert area and the largest in terms of area with few spaces that lend themselves to crops under irrigation

Niger national economy is still dominated by the primary sector, of which the most important are crop and animal production. Crop production remains dominated by millet, sorghum, rice, and corn, and some cash crops such as peanut, sesame, lettuce, onion, suchet, cowpea, Voandzou) . In 2018, some 5 686 000 ha were farmed by nearly 90% of rural households who derive their livelihoods from agriculture. The use of degenerate seed, along with low fertilizer use, disappearance of fallow, cropping of marginal lands and resistance to new technical innovations explains the low yields. According to World Bank, livestock production accounts for nearly 11% of GDP and 35% of agricultural GDP.

Niger remains a livestock rearingcountry because in view of the importance of its herd size, the importance of its grazing areas and the place of animal production as means of livelihood mean for rural populations. The national herd is composed of 46 586 626 heads all species including 17,411,659 heads of goats (36, 38%), 12 746 788 head of sheep (27, 14%), 14 363 595 head of cattle (27, 14%) and represents a total value of more than 3,000 billion FCFA (Atlas on livestock in Niger, April 2014), Niger can be considered as #breeding country#. Livestock is maintained by almost 89% of the rural population and itis their primary activity or complementary to agriculture. Twenty-two percentof the population rely on livestock as the unique livelihoods means. Maintaining livestock also represents a powerful integration factor, both economically and regionally, locally and socially Livestock occupy a place of choice in the domestic economy first as animportant factor of food security of the household, then as a source of hard currency for the country and as poverty alleviation tool. Livestock is an essential part of the population's nutritional balance by providing nutritious foods of animal origin (protein, carbohydrate and lipid energy, mineral elements, amino acids). Due to the poor feed availability and quality, livestock provides only 40 litres of milk and 9 kg of meat per person, per year, far below the standards recommended by the United Nations. Indeed, Niger has recorded recurrent droughts with a significant impact on the productivity of the herd.

In addition to local fodder production deficit, animal mobility is seriously jeopardized. For both security reasons and local conditions in nearby countries, transhumance mobility is on the rise. Furthermore, national herds faces critical water constraints as a result of drastic reduction of water retention ofmost surface water points as well as the water table being depleted to unprecedented levels leaving most traditional wells dry. These wells account for more than 70% of animal water needs.

Climate variability and change (CC) poses a significant threatto economic development and risks compromising the chances of meeting the poverty reduction challenges (SDG1). In Niger, the climate is tropical semi-arid type, characterized by two seasons: a dry season from October to May and a rainy season from June to September andcharacterized by a strong variation in space and time. This rainfall allows in a normal year the recharge of the aquifers, the formation of the water bodies and the development of the vegetal cover. On the basis of average rainfall, there are four climatic zones:Saharan, Sahelo-Saharan, Sahelian and Sahelo-Sudanian.  Also, in 1961, Niger set the northern limit of crops (Law No. 61-05 of 26 May 1961). It thus determines the zones and large ecological and bioclimatic sets according to theirnatural vocations and rainfall levels within or beyond the 300 to 400 mm isohyet. For this purpose, this band is defined as that with pastoral vocation. However, it remains the most exposed to the adverse effects of climate variability and change.