Resilient livelihoods in Africa’s pastoral–agropastoral transition zones will increasingly depend on heat stress adaptation and systemic change

Abstract

Pastoral–agropastoral transition zones across the African continent are projected to face crop production difficulties due to climate change. A greater emphasis on livestock production may be an appropriate response in some places. Here we explore how heat stress may impact livestock productivity and human work capacity. While adaptations can alleviate some of the challenges related to heat stress, data-driven, systemic changes and multi-stakeholder participation are needed to accommodate the complex socio-economic factors involved in shaping a vision for pastoral and agropastoral food systems and to enact local—and effective—change.