Climate risk and adaptation options for cattle in South Asia

As South Asia’s first commodity-specific climate adaptation Atlas, the Atlas of Climate Adaptation in South Asian Agriculture (ACASA) is focused on characterizing climatic risks at a granular level, assessing the likely impacts of climate change, and proposing plausible adaptation options while assessing their economic suitability, viability, and environmental benefits. ACASA analyses 40 major commodities, including cereals, pulses, oilseeds, fruits and vegetables, livestock, fisheries, and industrial and non-food crops. The following brief will delve into climatic hazards for cattle (baseline and future) and then discuss suitable adaptation options. In South Asia, where most of the population resides in rural areas, livestock farming is a vital livelihood strategy. It provides smallholder farmers with income, food security, and social status (Sharma & Singh, 2017). Livestock in South Asia is a complex and multifaceted sector with a diverse array of animal species, including cattle, bufalo, goats, pigs, sheep, and poultry.