The probable impacts of climate change on poverty - UNDP

7.3.3 Livestock
Livestock rearing is an important source <strong>of</strong> income and livelihood options for the rural poor <strong>of</strong> the country.
Pertinently, the impact <strong>of</strong> <strong>climate</strong> <strong>change</strong> on livestock affects the livelihood <strong>of</strong> the rural poor. It reduces livelihood
opportunities, income and employment opportunities <strong>of</strong> the poor villagers. <strong>The</strong> experts <strong>of</strong> livestock sector
perceive that severe <strong>impacts</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>climate</strong> <strong>change</strong> and extremes on livestock affect poverty moderately. But the
<strong>impacts</strong> <strong>of</strong> sea level rise affects poverty and economic growth <strong>of</strong> this particular sector severely as stated by the
key experts. Drought, salinity intrusion and heat wave affect the sector moderately and consequently, both
poverty and economic growth are moderately affected. Thus, the <strong>impacts</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>climate</strong> <strong>change</strong> on livestock affect
poverty reduction activities and in attaining the MDGs.
It is difficult to have a perception on the <strong>impacts</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>climate</strong> <strong>change</strong>, variability and extremes on livestock because
there is no baseline information on these issues. But it is easily perceived that death and production <strong>of</strong> livestock
will decrease considerably with increasing intensity and frequency <strong>of</strong> shocks. Production <strong>of</strong> livelihood will also be
hampered due to decrease <strong>of</strong> grazing lands, increase in death <strong>of</strong> livestocks etc. <strong>The</strong>se will lead to decrease in the
health status affecting meat and milk production.
Table 7.6: Present and future <strong>impacts</strong> <strong>of</strong> different climatic events on livestock, poverty and economic growth
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Key issues
Flood and river
bank erosion
Level <strong>of</strong> <strong>impacts</strong>
Identified <strong>impacts</strong> Poverty Economic growth
Present Future Present Future Present Future
Severe - Moderate Severe Moderate Severe
Drought Moderate - Moderate Severe Moderate Severe
Cyclone and
Storm surge
Severe - Severe Severe Severe Severe
Sea level rise Severe - Severe Severe Severe Severe
Salinity Intrusion Moderate - Moderate Severe Moderate Severe
Erratic Rainfall Low - Low Low Low Low
Temperature
Variation
Moderate - Moderate - Moderate -
Heat wave Moderate - Moderate Low Moderate Low
Cold Wave Moderate - Moderate Very Low Moderate Very Low
Fogginess - - - - - -
Incidence <strong>of</strong> Pest
and diseases
Source: Key experts’ workshop
7.3.4 Forestry
Moderate Moderate Moderate
<strong>The</strong> <strong>impacts</strong> <strong>of</strong> extreme weather events on forestry affect poverty and economic growth in different ways.
Poverty is severely affected by cyclone in the context <strong>of</strong> severity <strong>of</strong> impact on forestry. Livelihoods <strong>of</strong> the poor
and marginal communities in the forest areas, especially in the Sundarbans area mostly depend on forest
resources. Very pertinently, <strong>impacts</strong> <strong>of</strong> shocks on forestry affect the poor <strong>of</strong> that particular livelihood group. <strong>The</strong>
experts perceive that salinity intrusion severely affect forest trees and resources especially in the coastal region.
<strong>The</strong> Probable Impacts <strong>of</strong> Climate Change on Poverty and Economic Growth and
the Options <strong>of</strong> Coping with adverse Effect <strong>of</strong> Climate Change in Bangladesh