Increasingly frequent extreme weather events including floods, storms, and extended droughts create acute welfare crises for livestock, requiring improved preparedness planning and emergency response capacity from farmers and authorities.
Extreme weather events create acute welfare suffering for livestock through drowning, heat exhaustion, starvation from pasture failure, and injury from structural collapse. The frequency and severity of these events is increasing with climate change, making emergency preparedness increasingly important. Farmers who have invested in resilient housing, emergency water supply, and flood-resistant pasture management are better able to protect animal welfare during events. Government emergency response support for livestock welfare during disasters is inconsistent and often insufficient.