IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON LIVESTOCK HEALTH AND WELFARE IN NIGERIA'S NORTH-EAST REGION

Abstract

This paper studies the influence of climate change on health and welfare in Nigerian North-East livestock, covering direct and indirect impacts. An increased temperature, changing patterns of precipitation, and an increased humidity culminate into heat stress affecting the physiology, behaviour, and productivity of the livestock.Long-term exposure to extreme heat reduces feed intake, reproductive performance, and immune function due to metabolic disorders, oxidative stress, and increased vulnerability to diseases. Besides, climatic changes favored the dissemination of vector-borne diseases, such as trypanosomiasis and Rift Valley fever, further compromising the health status of livestock and creating zoonotic risks in humans.It also cites nutritional problems caused by higher fungal proliferation caused by climate and leading to mycotoxicoses in feeds. Such changes add pressure on the livelihoods of those depending on the livestock, especially small-scale farmers, who incur enhanced veterinary costs and mortality hence reducing food security.The impact is deep at the socio-economic level, as livestock farming is one of the most important sources of income and sustenance in the region. Thus, the paper calls for a multidimensional adaptive approach through improvements in the management of livestock, nutritional interventions, vector control, and disease surveillance systems to mitigate such challenges. This therefore further underlines the importance of policy development and community involvement in creating resilience and thus assuring a sustainable livestock farming system in the face of a changing climate. It is expected that these findings will inform policy, researchers, and other stakeholders on how to build adaptive capacity within the livestock sector in order to secure livelihoods and improve food security in Northeast Nigeria.