The Impact of Climate Variability on Cattle Heat Stress in Vanuatu

Emmylou Reeve, Andrew B. Watkins and Yuriy Kuleshov ()
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Emmylou Reeve: Monash University, Melbourne 3800, Australia
Andrew B. Watkins: Australian Climate Service, Melbourne 3008, Australia
Yuriy Kuleshov: Bureau of Meteorology, Melbourne 3001, Australia

Agriculture, 2024, vol. 14, issue 11, 1-18

Abstract: Heat stress is a climate extreme that impacts cattle health, fertility, feed intake, production, and well-being. In Vanuatu, the beef industry is crucial to local livelihoods and the nation’s economy, thus the objective of this study was to examine the impact of heat stress on cattle health and production. This study uses the Heat Load Index (HLI) and Accumulated Heat Load (AHL) as proxies to assess the impact of heat stress on cattle in Vanuatu over a 30-year period (1994–2023), using the fifth generation of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) atmospheric reanalysis of the global climate (ERA5) data. The analysis examines historical patterns of heat stress in cattle across Vanuatu, identifying more instances of heat stress occurring during the wet season due to characteristically elevated temperatures, humidity, and low wind speeds. Findings also suggest that El Niño events may increase the intensity and duration of heat stress events. These insights inform the development of an Early Warning System for heat stress in cattle, establishing a crucial foundation for targeted adaptation strategies aimed at enhancing the resilience and sustainability of Vanuatu’s beef industry to climate variability and change.

Keywords: climate variability; heat stress; heat load index; accumulated heat load; beef cattle; early warning system (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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