Climate Change and Livestock in East Africa
Extreme precipitation changes over Eastern Africa such as droughts and heavy rainfall events have been experienced more frequently during the last 30-60 years. The risk of loss of rural livelihoods and income due to climatic hazards is particularly real in arid and semi-arid regions, largely inhabited by communities engaged in pastoral and agro-pastoral livelihood systems. The estimated loss in the livestock sector due to droughts between 2008- 2011 by the World Bank is at US $12.1 billion. In addition to drought and climate related hazards, the ASALs of the horn of Africa, face a number of other challenges which include population growth, resources scarcity, land degradation, low productivity (both livestock and crops), overgrazing, deforestation, invasive species and market fluctuations among others all of which affect the ability of the inhabitants to successfully adapt and be resilient to weather variability and climate change. In addition, it is estimated that 70% of Africa’s agricultural GHG emissions comes from the livestock sector. This webinar focuses on increasing knowledge and raising awareness on the implications of climate change on the livestock sector.
Panelists
Paul Opio
Livestock Officer The United Nations (FAO) Resilience Team for Eastern Africa (RTEA)Topic: Past, Present and Future Climatic Impacts on the Livestock Sector
Paul joined FAO Uganda in 2007 as Livestock Specialist for Karamoja region where he designed and managed several emergency and rehabilitation projects. In 2011, he moved to RTEA as Livestock and Pasotoralism Advisor working with IGAD, East Africa Community and AU-IBRA, Paul has more than fifteen years of experience in providing support to countries on national, crossborder and regional emergency, rehabilitation and development. He has extensive experience in programming with regional economic communities (IGAD, AU-IBAR, EAC), in policy development, and coordination of regional food security and nutrition partners.
Dr. Wamalwa Kinyanjui
Animal Health Expert IGAD Center for Pastoral Areas and Livestock Development (ICPALD)Topic: Policy Options Protecting Livestock Production in the Context of a Changing Climate: Opportunities Gaps and Challenges
Wamalwa Kinyanjui, working as Animal Health Expert at IGAD Center for Pastoral Areas and Livestock Development, a specialized institution of Intergovernmental Authority on Development since 2016 to date. He previously worked with FAO, COOPI and State Department of Livestock, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries. He also supports regional initiatives in IGAD member states to enhance coordination and cooperation in management of crossborder programs in animal health, production, trade as well as promote marketable supply of livestock and livestock products from the region.
Dr. Polly Eriksen
Program Leader, Sustainable Livestock Systems International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI)Topic: Green House Gas Emissions and the Livestock sector
Ericksen leads the research program on Sustainable Livestock Systems at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI). She has a PhD in Soil Science and an MSc in Economics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a BS in History from Swarthmore College. She has over 20 years of experience working on agricultural development, natural resource management and global environmental change in developing countries. This includes experience working for the World Agroforestry Centre, Catholic Relief Services, a research fellowship at Columbia University’s International Research Institute for Climate and Society (IRI), and five years at the University of Oxford working with the Global Environmental Change and Food Systems (GECAFS) initiative of the Earth Systems Science Partnership. She also leads the Environment Flagship of the Livestock Agri-food Systems CRP and serves as the ILRI contact point for CCAFS.
Dr. David Balikowa
East African Commission’s Senior Livestock Officer Uganda's National Agriculture Research Organization (NARO)Topic: Impacts of Climate Change on Livestock Production: Challenges Impacting Trade
Dr. David Balikowa is the East African Commission’s Senior Livestock Officer responsible for food security and rural development in EAC. He has previously held various positions in the region including the position of Director of Research at Uganda's National Agriculture Research Organization (NARO). He holds a Bachelors degree in Veterinary Medicine and a Masters Degree in Animal Science.