Climate change risks and adaptive capacity analysis in the Botswana livestock industry

Abstract

Livestock production systems on dryland ecosystems in the region are highly vulnerable to climate change and this study identifies the climate risks that threaten the livestock industry in Botswana and assesses climate resilient adaptation practices used by smallholder livestock farmers using Multiple Criteria Analysis. In addition, barriers to adoption of adaptation practices in the livestock sector are also assessed by regional experts in livestock and climate change. Precipitation is projected to decline between September and February, and this will be exacerbated by increased temperatures, which could lead to reduced forage plant productivity and reduced rangeland carrying capacity. To deal with these climate risks, farmers prefer the use of different livestock types which scored significantly towards livelihood improvement. Livestock supplementation and breeding locally adapted breeds also ranked high due to their high potential to contribute towards greenhouse gas mitigation and technical simplicity, respectively. The experts attributed poor adoption of ecosystem-based adaptation and change in agricultural practices to lack of knowledge. Financial constraints were also linked to failure to supplement livestock and water development. Adaptation to climate change could be limited by multiple barriers and there is an urgent need to address such barriers to facilitate adoption of climate resilient practices by smallholder farmers and thus improve resilience to climate change in the livestock sector.