Adaptation options for small livestock farmers having large ruminants (cattle and buffalo) against climate change in Central Punjab Pakistan

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international Vol. 27; no. 15; pp. 17935 - 17948
• Main Authors: Shahbaz, Pomi, Boz, Ismet, ul Haq, Shamsheer
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01-05-2020; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adaptation; Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Climate change; Drinking water; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental science; Farmers; Farms; Food security; Livestock; Livestock farming; Physicians; Poverty; Poverty eradication; Regression analysis; Research Article; Shades; Small farms; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; Working conditions; Working hours; World population; Punjab Pakistan; Pakistan; Climate change; Livestock farmers; Central Punjab; Step-wise regression; Large ruminants; Adaptation
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-020-08112-9

Climate change is not a myth anymore and changing with every passing year regardless of the efforts to mitigate its root causes. Livestock being a key source of employment to a large poor world population also contributes to food security and poverty eradication. With the changing climate livestock farmers are also making their farms compatible to the new natural ecosystem. Therefore, this study investigated how small livestock farmers having large ruminants inventory perceive changes in climate, which strategies they adapt and the factors influencing the adaptation of climate changes strategies in livestock. Primary data was collected from 180 small livestock farmers of Central Punjab, and multiple (step-wise) regression analysis was used to determine the factors affecting adaptation of climate change strategies. Livestock farmers are also well aware of the climate change as majority of the farmers (63.4% and 71.4%) perceived an increase in temperature and precipitation, respectively. Livestock farmers made an attempt to adopt conventional climate change strategies such as mix farming, reduction in animals, provision of more drinking water, use of tree shades, livestock diversification, use of muddy roof, and floor in order to cope with climate changes. The adoption of these measures was significantly influenced by animal inventory, climate knowledge, livestock working hours, livestock experience, distance of veterinary hospital, and livestock-related training/workshops. Government needs to increase technical and logistic capacity of veterinary doctors, and should create awareness among small livestock farmers through media.