Climate change refers to a long-term deviance of global climate patterns from original patterns. Climate is sometimes mistaken with the word weather, some people think climate and weather are the same but in actual climate is different from the weather because the climate is measured over a long period of time and as a whole nation, area, and region, not the particular small place whereas weather can change from day by day, hour by hour. in today's world climate change is the world biggest issue and problem. Many works are happening in this issue and that's good but it affects many sectors. Mainly the cause of current climate change is large human activities like burning fossil fuels, natural gas, oil, industrialization, mechanization, chemical uses, deforestation, etc.
To feed the livestock and themself people have
chopped down the large area of forest and later it used to grow crops, feed,
fodder, and build the house. We all know that forest is very good at the taking
carbon dioxide ( greenhouse gas) which cause the climate change from the
environment and produce the oxygen and the climate change can impact the
livestock by changes in the production and quality of feed crop and forage,
animal growth and reproduction, water availability, diseases, reproduction,
biodiversity, and these impacts are happening due to an increase in
temperature, greenhouse gases, high concentration of co2, precipitation
variation factors, etc.
Some of the effects that facing by the livestock
and livestock production by the climate change is given below:
- Quality and quantity of feeds and fodder:
This
effect happens mainly due to an increase in temperature and CO2. due to the increase
in CO2 level and temperature the crops, Animals, and plants have a greater
effect, production, and reduction in both quality and quantity. The quality and
quantity of feeds are dependent on the temperature, location, livestock system,
species, etc. if quality and quantity of feed are not enough for the animal
then the animal will get weak and weak due to lack of appropriate amount of
nutrient intake. Which makes animals susceptible to diseases and the quality
and quantity of product is also heavily damaged.
2.
Water:
due
to climate change, rise in temperature, most areas of the earth are in
stressful conditions. Water availability is decreasing day by day at an
increasing level. Water availability issues badly affect the livestock sector
and also the quality of water. Animals use water for drinking ( should have
enough and quality water), for sanitation, for regulating body temperature, for
raising crops, forages, grains. If water scarcity is higher then the production
of crops forage and grains less and it badly affects both humans and animals
and Without drinking water, none can survive. Due to climate change, water is
contaminated with chemicals and biological factors. This affects the animal
metabolism, fertility, digestion, respiratory system, excretory, skeletal, nervous,
etc.
3.
Livestock diseases:
Due
to climate change i.e. increase in temperature, co2 level, livestock diseases,
and pandemic increasing in today's world. Climate change is making the
livestock weak, weaken their immunity power and becoming the unfavourable
climate. The less quality and quantity of feed, scarce and contaminated water and in
other hands it gives a suitable and favourable environment for the microbial
community( pathogens and parasites), by which they cause and spread the
disease, emerging new types and strain of disease and microbiota and many
livestock can die due to diseases, pandemics etc. it is a huge loss for the
farmers as well as country and recently we know that the lumpy skin disease in
cow come as an epidemic in Nepal.
4.
Heat Stress:
Environmental
temperature is very necessary to keep the body stable and healthy. It will help
livestock to regulate physiological metabolism, activities etc. When
temperature increases more than the upper critical temperature (varies within
the species) animals begin to suffer heat stress. It alters physiological
function, reduces feed intake, increases water intake, alters reproductive and
productive efficiency, alters respiration rate, these all factors make
livestock weak and can kill, reduce animal products like milk production, meat
production etc.
5.
Health and Reproduction:
livestock has many health problems due to climate change. Climate change affects the livestock by altering metabolic rate, endocrine system,, oxidative status, carbohydrate status, protein and lipid metabolism, liver functionality, etc and also reduce the reproduction efficiency of both male and female sex by degrading the quality of egg and sperms.
Conclusion:
Hence climate change affects livestock directly
and indirectly in both ways. It is very sad news as well as conditions for the
world and farmers. We need to do something about the climate change issue. If
we don't do anything, none will do anything, so let's do it together to make
the environment healthy.