The poor condition of animal sheds, lack of veterinary support, inadequate feed supply, and lack of resources...characterize the livestock management system in Nepal. These conditions are reflected by extremely poor livestock heath. Photo by Durga Poudel.
Livestock-Climate Change CRSP research partner Durga Poudel authored an article published in the Telegraph Nepal about the challenges of adapting livestock production to climate change in Nepal. Poudel is a professor and head of the Department of Renewable Resources at the University of Louisiana, at Lafayette. He is also the leader of the LCC CRSP project titled, “Capacity-building and Strengthening of Livestock Production Systems While Adapting to Climate Change in Nepal” (SLPS).
In the Telegraph Nepal article, Poudel describes the vulnerability of livestock systems in Nepal to climate change. “Livestock production is one of the major components of Nepalese mixed farming system….Agricultural crops provide food to the families, and fodder, straw, and grains to the livestock. Most rural families depend on livestock to support and send their children to schools and colleges,” Poudel explains.
“While Terai region is more vulnerable to floods, temperature rise, droughts, and fire, the mid-hills are vulnerable to landslides and water shortages. Similarly, the Himalayas are vulnerable to snow melts, glacier retreats, and glacial lake outbursts. Changing weather patterns, extreme rain events and associated floods and landslides, crop failures, habitat shift, acute water shortages, incidence of new diseases and parasites, river-cuttings and land losses, and hydrological changes are some of the impacts of climate change noticed in Nepal,” he writes.
Poudel describes the poor state of livestock production and management. Milk production lags behind demand, livestock are in poor health, and veterinary services are largely unavailable to rural farmers.
Poudel recently returned from a month-long trip to Nepal during which he interviewed livestock keepers throughout the country. “Farmers are aware of changes occurring in their production systems due to global climate change. Increasing incidences of new diseases, skin diseases, drug resistance, new parasites, and poor feed supply are some of the issues farmers have already perceived as problems due to global climate change,” he says. “Although farmers have tried to adapt to these changes by lowering their herd sizes, switching to smaller-size animals, rain water harvesting, and moving out from the locality, these are only short-term measures. The challenges are finding adaptation and mitigation measures to climate change so that livestock production could be increased and the production system could be strengthened.”
Read the complete article in the Nepal Telegraph
