<p>Livestock production systems in dryland ecosystems are highly vulnerable to climate change. The objectives of this study were to assess (i) climate risks that threaten the livestock industry; (ii) resilient livestock adaptation practices used by smallholder livestock farmers particularly those in drylands; and (iii) barriers to adoption of adaptation practices by smallholder farmers in Botswana. The future climate risks were assessed using the global climate model (GCM)_compilations of the Coupled Model Inter-comparison Projects (CMIP 6) available through open source. The climate resilient adaptation practices used by smallholder livestock farmers were identified through literature review, stakeholder discussions and then assessed through Multiple Criteria Analysis by technical experts in livestock and climate change. In addition, barriers to adoption of adaptation practices in the livestock sector were also assessed by same experts. Precipitation was projected to decline between September and February, and that will be exacerbated by increased temperatures, which could lead to reduced forage plant productivity and reduced rangeland carrying capacity. To deal with these climate risks, farmers use multiple practices such as adoption of mixed livestock species to buffer their livelihoods. Livestock supplementation and breeding locally adapted breeds also ranked high due to their significant contribution towards greenhouse gas mitigation and technical simplicity, respectively. The experts attributed poor adoption of ecosystem-based adaptation and change in agricultural practices to lack of knowledge. Financial constraints were also linked to failure to supplement livestock and water development. Adaptation to climate change could be limited by multiple barriers and there is an urgent need to address such barriers to facilitate adoption of climate resilient practices by smallholder farmers and thus improve resilience to climate change in the livestock sector.</p>