Climate change is increasing the frequency of flood events that threaten farm animal welfare, requiring improved emergency planning and rapid response protocols to minimise suffering during and after flood events.
Flood events create acute welfare emergencies for livestock that can cause widespread suffering if farms are unprepared. Animals trapped in flooded buildings face drowning, hypothermia, exhaustion from prolonged standing in water, and collapse. Post-flood disease outbreaks from leptospirosis, coccidiosis, and other pathogens cause further welfare impact weeks after the immediate emergency. Emergency welfare plans that identify vulnerable livestock, evacuation routes, and emergency contacts, combined with investment in farm infrastructure to withstand flood events, significantly improve outcomes for livestock in flood-prone areas.