A significant number of sub-Saharan countries tend to be particularly vulnerable to climate change for a number of reasons, including poor soils, erratic rainfalls, high temperatures, aridness, reliance on rain-dependent and/or finite natural resources, lack of infrastructures and high population growth rate.

Climate change - together with the use of unsustainable practices in agriculture -  is also among the main drivers of the degradation of the natural resources. The overall environmental degradation results in turn in decreased agricultural productivity, and may lead to severe social and economic losses.

FAO works in synergy with a number of partners to operate projects aimed at improving the resilience of farmers and herders in an effort to safe-guard their traditional way of life, preserve their local indigenous knowledge and improve the livelihoods of their communities. 

SHARP and SHARP+ have been implemented in over 20 countries across sub-Saharan Africa and the Sahel.