Pig production in Uganda - adapting to climate change

There is limited attention to impacts of climate change on pigs in Uganda by stakeholders, despite the potential vulnerability of pigs to climate change. Pigs are sensitive to heat-stress, as they do not have functioning sweat glands as other livestock species do, and have small lungs which reduces their ability to disseminate heat by panting. The objectives of the study were to i) determine the heat-stress status in pigs, ii) analyze factors influencing heat-stress, and iii) explore the heat-stress adaptation options in Lira District, Uganda. Lira was selected because of presence of both rural & urban areas and expected heat stress throughout the year in the district. The data including household demographics, management systems, age, color, breeds, body/skin temperature, rectal temperature and others were collected from 104 households and 259 pigs during the hot months in Ojwina and Barr sub-counties- Lira district. We collected data on adaptation options during the four gender disaggregated focus group discussions. Weather data was collected during the time of administering the questionnaire, and it was complemented with data from Ngetta Meteorological Station, Lira.

尽管乌干达的猪群面临气候变化的潜在脆弱性，但当地利益相关方对气候变化对猪只的影响关注度仍十分有限。猪对热应激（heat-stress）较为敏感：它们与其他畜禽品种不同，不具备功能性汗腺，且肺部容积较小，这削弱了其通过喘气散热的能力。本研究的核心目标包括三项：① 明确猪群的热应激现状；② 分析影响热应激发生的相关因素；③ 探索乌干达利拉区猪群的热应激应对方案。选取利拉区作为研究区域，原因在于该区兼具城乡地域，且辖区内全年均可能出现热应激情况。本次研究在利拉区奥杰维纳（Ojwina）与巴尔（Barr）次级县的炎热月份期间，从104户养殖家庭与259头猪只中收集了相关数据，采集内容涵盖家庭人口统计特征、饲养管理模式、猪只年龄、毛色、品种、体表温度、直肠温度及其他相关指标。研究团队通过4次按性别分类的焦点小组讨论，收集了关于热应激应对方案的相关质性数据。研究在发放问卷期间同步采集了现场气象数据，并补充使用了利拉区恩盖塔（Ngetta）气象站的历史气象资料。