14 September 2011: The Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) is providing assistance to the Government of Vanuatu to identify ways to meet climate change challenges in the livestock sector. SPC is focusing on building capacity of farmers to use seasonal forecasts to inform livestock management decisions.

According to SPC, the impacts of climate change on animals include: heat stress due to increasing temperatures and daily extremes; lower meat, milk and egg productivity; increased animal death from storms and cyclones; loss of grazing pastures and animal feed from wild fire and drought; and damage to infrastructure that facilitates bringing livestock to markets.

Work includes the Pacific region’s first livestock climate change adaptation pilot site on Pele Island. The pilot involved a climate change resilient pig trial facility, where different types of adaptation options are being tested. [SPC Press Release]