Abstract

Livestock is a key asset for poor communities, fulfilling multiple economic, social and risk management functions. However, currently it has been challenged by climate change such as the long-term misbalance of temperature, wind and rainfall characteristics of a specific region. Climate change has affected livestock production systems through impair feed intake, metabolic activities and defense mechanisms. Furthermore, it is also expected to heighten the vulnerability to livestock feed through inducing the greatest reduction of herbage yield and increase lignifications in plant tissues and hence decrease the digestibility of forage by the animal. On the other hand, Climate change also may increase shrub cover in some grassland which had been induced Shrub encroachment tends to reduce the quantity and quality of forage available for livestock. This review also illustrated the climate change which directly and indirectly affected the livestock’s health performance. Among the direct climate impact induced impact to livestock health are introduce vector-borne, soil associated, flood associated and humidity associated and whereas, indirect impacts are on livestock health performance by intricate pathways through inducing adaption of microbial populations to climate change, increase distribution of vector-borne diseases, and host resistance to infectious agents, feed and water shortages. Finally the impact of climate change on pastoral livelihood through affecting livestock production, decreasing productivity of rangeland, increasing food insecurity and inducing pastoralist health risk problems.

Keywords: Climate change; Livestock; Health; Pastoral livelihood; Lignifications