Smallholder farmers face climate variability and incidences of drought have been characteristic of smallholder farmer production in Chivi. Drought was the key climate risk in the investigation of the impact of climate variability on the sustainability of agricultural production and development of the community. With regards to climate risk management and the immediate impact of climate variability, smallholder famers in Chivi received food aid from Non Governmental Organisations (NGO)s, sought off-farm employment, sold livestock, and participated in food for work programmes among many other responses. In the long run the production of small grains such as millet and sorghum, Conservation Agriculture, crop diversification and, soil and water conservation were revealed to be more sustainable adaptation options. Agriculture, Technical and Extensions Services (AGRITEX) and NGOs were noted to be the key actors in climate risk management. The constraints to adaptation sustainability centred on lack of information, inputs, labour as well as the absence of reliable water sources.