On Indonesia's Sumba island, the motifs displayed on traditional textiles produced by its weavers often depict animals, including the area's famed Sandalwood breed of horses.
. East Sumba, Indonesia. Reuters/Willy Kurniawan
A cow runs past graves on a field in Hamba Praing village.
But in the village of Hamba Praing in East Sumba, scores of horses and cattle have died in recent years as extreme drought withered the grass, leaving behind bones and carcasses scattered over the scrubby landscape.
East Sumba, about 2,000 km (1,200 miles) east of Jakarta, last year reportedly had 249 days in a row without rain, with some experts blaming climate change for more frequent drought-inducing weather patterns, forcing people to adapt to survive.
. East Sumba, Indonesia. Reuters/Willy Kurniawan
Thomas Tay Ranjawali eats dinner with his family at their home in Hamba Praing village.
"Nowadays, we no longer plant things," said local farmer Thomas Tay Ranjawali, 52, referring to the peanut and corn crops typically grown by villagers.
As well as trying to keep his animals alive, the father of six is now learning how to weave, a practice normally reserved for woman, to get extra funds for food.
. East Sumba, Indonesia. Reuters/Willy Kurniawan
. East Sumba, Indonesia. Reuters/Willy Kurniawan
Left: A horse grazes on a field in Kanatang district. Right: A horse's skull is pictured at a field in Hamba Praing village.
Sumba is in Indonesia's third poorest province of East Nusa Tenggara, which is also the driest region of the archipelago.
Indonesia's meteorology agency said conditions were being made more extreme by the strongest Indian Ocean Dipole - the difference in sea temperatures across the ocean - in a century that can cause drier weather in Southeast Asia and Australia.
"The increase of temperatures in Indonesia is proof of global warming," said agency official Supari, who uses one name, noting Sumba was one of the most vulnerable areas.
. East Sumba, Indonesia. Reuters/Willy Kurniawan
. East Sumba, Indonesia. Reuters/Willy Kurniawan
Left: Noti and Ranjawali prepare to hand weave a traditional Sumba Ikat textile at Atma La Kanatang, their weaving house. Right: A traditional handwoven Sumba Ikat textile.
As the drought ravages the village, Ranjawali and his wife, Maria Babang Noti, are forgoing seeds to buy more yarn for the lengthy process of weaving intricate Sumba Ikat textile.
. East Sumba, Indonesia. Reuters/Willy Kurniawan
Ndelu Ndaha carries his net through the sea as he fishes on Puru Kambera beach in Hamba Praing.
Another farmer, Ndelu Ndaha, 49, is now spending more time trying to catch fish.
Eighteen of his horses and seven cows recently died, and to keep the remaining animals alive grass had to be brought in from other villages.
. East Sumba, Indonesia. Reuters/Willy Kurniawan
Dimas Mbaha Konda Lura, 11, and his cousin Simon Kopa Laki Jawa, 8, bathe Ndaha's horse 'Buru-Buru', while on a fishing trip at Puru Kambera beach.
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"The horses easily get ill. They don't have anything in their stomach. Every year, there are always deaths," said Ndaha.
PHOTO EDITING MARIKA KOCHIASHVILI; WRITING Stanley Widianto; EDITING Ed Davies, William Maclean; LAYOUT JULIA DALRYMPLE
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Slideshow
. Waingapu, Indonesia. Reuters/Willy Kurniawan
The sun rises over Waingapu.
. East Sumba, Indonesia. Reuters/Willy Kurniawan
Julkarnaen Mansyur, 33, a fisherman from Waingapu, carries his net back to the seashore after fishing on Maudolung Beach.
. East Sumba, Indonesia. Reuters/Willy Kurniawan
Mangrove trees stand at Walakiri beach during sunset.
. East Sumba, Indonesia. Reuters/Willy Kurniawan
Ndaha goes fishing with his son Dimas Mbaha Konda Lura, 11, and Ndaha's friends at Puru Kambera beach.
. East Sumba, Indonesia. Reuters/Willy Kurniawan
Dimas displays a fish that he grilled.
. East Sumba, Indonesia. Reuters/Willy Kurniawan
Kalara Ata Jenji, 49, rests with her granddaughter on the sand as Ndaha, her husband, goes fishing.
. East Sumba, Indonesia. Reuters/Willy Kurniawan
A toy car, made with a plastic bottle, sits outside Ndaha's house in Hamba Praing village.
. East Sumba, Indonesia. Reuters/Willy Kurniawan
A tree stands on a hill in Kanatang district.
. East Sumba, Indonesia. Reuters/Willy Kurniawan
Noti hand weaves a traditional Sumba Ikat textile.
. East Sumba, Indonesia. Reuters/Willy Kurniawan
Andreas Windi Mbaku Rawa, 27, rests with his children Zigy Umbu Awat, nine months old, and Juan Oktovian Ana Kami, 5, at Atma La Kanatang, his parent's weaving house in Hamba Praing village.
. East Sumba, Indonesia. Reuters/Willy Kurniawan
Family members Arini Tenga Lunga, 9, Orvi Lensia Kareri Muni, 10, Juan Oktovian Ana Kami, 5, Dionisius Putal Kahali, 12, and Enjelia Cresensia Riana Ata Rambu, 12, play on a smartphone at the weaving house Atma La Kanatang.
. East Sumba, Indonesia. Reuters/Willy Kurniawan
Noti holds her nine-month-old grandson Zigy Umbu Awat.
. East Sumba, Indonesia. Reuters/Willy Kurniawan
Andreanus Talu Amah, 15, Thomas Tay Ranjawali's son, carries Zigy at their house in Hamba Praing village.
. East Sumba, Indonesia. Reuters/Willy Kurniawan
Noti pours water into jerrycans as she prepares dinner outside her home.
. East Sumba, Indonesia. Reuters/Willy Kurniawan
Stars shine over the weaving house Atma La Kanatang.
. East Sumba, Indonesia. Reuters/Willy Kurniawan
A solar panel sits on the roof of a traditional Sumbanese house in Wunga village.
. East Sumba, Indonesia. Reuters/Willy Kurniawan
Dembe Laka, 70, spreads betel nuts over graves, as a traditional act of offering as she and Noti visit Wunga village.
. East Sumba, Indonesia. Reuters/Willy Kurniawan
Sumbanese villagers work on a field seeding peanuts in Hamba Praing village.
. East Sumba, Indonesia. Reuters/Willy Kurniawan
Ersi Newa Pingga, 37, a teacher who also works on a field, displays peanuts that she seeded.
. East Sumba, Indonesia. Reuters/Willy Kurniawan
Kaita Hewa, 36, reacts during her father's Kanguma M. Njangga's funeral.
. East Sumba, Indonesia. Reuters/Willy Kurniawan
Sumbanese women dressed in traditional clothing, attend Kanguma M. Njangga's funeral in Hamba Praing village.