The study deals with farmers’ perception of climate variability and its risks on natural resources in order to analyze and assess the adaptation strategies of local populations to this variability and climate change in the National Park of Upper Niger. To this end, we surveyed 150 heads of households in five villages (Beindou, Kourasambouya, Yèrèdou, Sidakoro and Niako) and conducted focus groups with certain structured groups in these localities. The results of these participatory surveys were compared with climate data to assess the level of accuracy of this perception. For the analysis of climatic factors, daily rainfall data from the Faranah meteorological station for the 1961-2013 series were used. Also, the identification of future climate risks, a projection of average temperatures and precipitation by 2025-2050, was analyzed. The perception of populations on the climate converges with the results of the analysis on rainfall. The major climatic risks are drought, strong winds, shortening of the length of the season, the longer and more frequent dry sequence. The main resources impacted are crops, water resources, vegetation and soil. The different strategies have been put in place to deal with it. This aspect is developed in a second article.