{"id":30834,"date":"2026-09-20T12:02:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-20T12:02:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swn.af\/en\/?p=30834"},"modified":"2026-09-20T12:04:30","modified_gmt":"2026-09-20T12:04:30","slug":"thin-livestock-and-dry-pastures-faryab-livestock-owners-message-to-cop31","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swn.af\/en\/2026\/09\/thin-livestock-and-dry-pastures-faryab-livestock-owners-message-to-cop31\/","title":{"rendered":"Thin livestock and dry pastures; Faryab livestock owners\u2019 message to COP31"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the plains and villages of Faryab, Afghanistan, drought is no longer affecting only farmland. Pastures have decreased, fodder has become more expensive, and extreme heat has made life harder for livestock. For families whose food, income and financial security depend on cattle and sheep, the loss or weakening of livestock means more than losing an asset. It can mean less milk and meat, lost income and greater difficulty providing food for their families.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Livestock owners in Faryab\u2019s Pashtun Kot, Qaisar, Almar and Kohistan districts say the situation of pastures has changed in recent years. Some say rainfall has improved somewhat this year, but they emphasize that the improvement has not made up for the losses caused by previous dry years, reduced pastureland and rising livestock feed costs. Others say the situation of pastures around their villages has changed as some pastureland has been turned into orchards and farmland, forcing them to buy fodder from the market.<\/p>\n

Pastures are no longer what they used to be<\/strong><\/h5>\n

Nasir Ahmad, a livestock owner from Pashtun Kot district of Faryab, says the situation of livestock farming is better this year than in some previous years. According to him, rainfall and the availability of grass have caused his livestock to stay outside and graze for longer.<\/p>\n

\u201cLivestock farming is better than in previous years. There is grass, and there has been rain. Our livestock stay outside for nine months, grazing on grass, and stay at home for the rest of the time. Milk production is also better than in previous years,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

But livestock owners in all areas do not have the same experience. Juma Khan, a livestock owner from Jamshidi village in Pashtun Kot, says the situation in the pastures is much worse than it was five to 10 years ago. However, he says rainfall has been better this year, and the pastures have stayed green longer than in previous years.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe now have about 170 sheep and 30 cattle. In the past, if we had 300 or 400 sheep, we also had about 70 calves and cattle. But this year, we reduced the number because it is difficult to keep them,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

For him, the relationship between rainfall, pastures and the livestock market is direct. When pastures are green, livestock are better nourished, gain weight and sell for higher prices in the market. But when pastures dry up, feed costs rise and livestock owners make less profit.<\/p>\n

Livestock feed costs; another pressure on livestock owners<\/strong><\/h5>\n

Guldasta, a livestock owner from Boraghan village in Qaisar district, says her family has even been forced to sell some calves to buy straw and feed for the remaining animals.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere has been almost no pasture for two years. The market has only been better this year than last year. We cannot afford to buy feed. If we have four or five animals, we sell one or two of them to buy flour and food for ourselves,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Nazira, a resident of Almar district, also says years of drought and reduced pastureland, along with limited access to fodder and rising feed prices, have made life more difficult for livestock owners.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are no pastures in our village. This year, drought and extreme heat have also caused a shortage of straw and fodder, making it difficult for livestock owners to provide enough food for their animals. We are asking for help with oilseed cake, straw, medicine and other supplies needed by livestock owners,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n

These concerns are also seen in the experience of Ghulam Hazrat, a livestock owner from Kohistan district. He says the number of his sheep has fallen from 31 to 27 in the past 11 months, while several others have become weak and sick.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are livestock owners and have a few animals, but this year the condition of our livestock is much worse than in previous years. The drought, wheat sunn pest (kafshak) and the shortage of fodder have caused livestock to lose weight and have increased disease, while many families cannot afford vaccines and medicine,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n

Drought and the livestock market<\/strong><\/p>\n

Naqibullah, a livestock owner from Topkhana Qala village in Almar district, says weather conditions directly affect the situation of livestock farming and the economic value of livestock in the market.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen there is enough rain and grass and straw are available, livestock grow better and have more value in the market. But when conditions are bad, feed costs rise and keeping animals becomes more difficult. Grass and straw are essential for keeping livestock, but providing them is costly,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Ways for livestock owners to adapt to climate change<\/strong><\/h5>\n

Ahmad Farid Habibi, a faculty member at Faryab University, says climate change is not limited to rising temperatures. Drought and a shortage of fodder can weaken livestock and reduce their body\u2019s resistance to some diseases.<\/p>\n

\u201cDrought causes water shortages and reduces natural pastures and fodder. Rising temperatures and extreme heat cause heat stress in livestock and can reduce milk and meat production, as well as their ability to reproduce. When livestock do not have enough food, livestock owners are forced to buy straw, stored fodder or feed, which increases their costs,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

He identifies three main priorities for a climate adaptation program for the livestock sector in Faryab: The first is better management of water and pastures, including building and repairing water reservoirs, storing rainwater, improving livestock access to water, restoring damaged pastures and preventing overgrazing.<\/p>\n

The second is providing and storing fodder and improving livestock management. This includes making better use of agricultural waste, training livestock owners to store fodder and improving animal nutrition during droughts.<\/p>\n

The third is strengthening veterinary services and establishing an early warning system for drought, reduced rainfall and other climate-related risks. He says international aid should not begin only after a crisis has occurred and livestock have died. Instead, some investment should be allocated to strengthening livestock owners\u2019 resilience before a crisis occurs.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Sher Mohammad Hatami, spokesperson for Afghanistan\u2019s Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock, says the ministry welcomes cooperation from international organizations to improve the situation of agriculture and livestock and strengthen the resilience of rural families.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock of Afghanistan welcomes effective cooperation from international organizations and funding for agriculture and livestock. We believe that implementing development projects in agriculture, especially programs that pave the way for farmers and livestock owners to access resources, increase incomes, create jobs and strengthen domestic production, can play an important role in improving the economic situation of rural families,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Recent reports by international organizations also show the pressures caused by drought on livestock farming in Afghanistan.<\/p>\n

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) stated in 2026 that, in order to support drought-affected families who own livestock in northern Afghanistan, including Faryab, it had implemented programs to protect their animals. The support included livestock feed, vaccines, antiparasitic medicine, training on animal care and cash assistance to buy fodder. The programs aimed to protect livestock, prevent a decline in production and avoid the forced sale of animals.<\/p>\n

According to an FAO report, 4,700 families in Faryab, Jawzjan and Sar-e-Pol benefited from these programs. The organization emphasized that supporting livestock owners before a crisis becomes more severe can help families dependent on livestock farming protect the main capital of their lives.<\/p>\n

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has also emphasized strengthening the resilience of communities whose livelihoods depend on natural resources and rural activities in response to climate-related crises programs in 2026. Its climate response programs focus on reducing families\u2019 vulnerability to shocks such as drought and strengthening communities\u2019 capacity to cope with the consequences of climate change.<\/p>\n

The World Bank, through its \u201cAfghanistan Climate-Smart Agriculture Plan,\u201d has emphasized that climate change\u2014including rising temperatures, changing rainfall patterns and more severe droughts\u2014poses serious risks to agriculture and livelihoods that depend on it in Afghanistan. The World Bank has also identified helping livestock owners and farmers adapt to climate change as part of the measures needed to strengthen the resilience of the agricultural sector. In its analysis of Afghanistan, the World Bank has identified drought and other climate-related shocks as factors that disrupt agricultural production and rural livelihoods, affecting food security and families\u2019 economic situation.<\/p>\n

Faryab\u2019s message to COP31<\/strong><\/h5>\n

As the world prepares for new negotiations on the climate crisis at COP31, the experiences of livestock owners in Faryab show the clear consequences of this crisis in one of Afghanistan\u2019s most vulnerable sectors. For families whose livelihoods depend on sheep, cattle and pastures, climate change is no longer a matter for the future. Declining rainfall, drought, extreme heat and shortages of fodder are already putting heavy pressure on their financial capacity and daily lives.<\/p>\n

If global commitments to climate adaptation are to reach people, some part of those commitments must also be seen in the villages of Faryab, where keeping a single sheep or cow can mean protecting a family\u2019s income, milk, meat and food.<\/p>\n

Reporter: Liza Omari<\/em><\/p>\n

A report from the \u201cMaseer Sabz\u201d program<\/p>\n

References:<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. World Bank \u2013 Afghanistan Climate-Smart Agriculture Action Plan<\/li>\n
  2. FAO \u2013 Protecting livestock during one of Afghanistan\u2019s harshest droughts<\/li>\n
  3. IOM \u2013 Human Mobility in the Context of Environmental and Climate Change<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    In the plains and villages of Faryab, Afghanistan, drought is no longer affecting only farmland. Pastures have decreased, fodder has become more expensive, and extreme heat has made life harder for livestock. For families whose food, income and financial security depend on cattle and sheep, the loss or weakening of livestock means more than losing an asset. It can mean less milk and meat, lost income and greater difficulty providing food for their families.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":30836,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[990,9,16,981,30,6],"tags":[2175,2222,300,1673,2221],"class_list":["post-30834","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest","category-soceity","category-report","category-economy","category-environment","category-afghanistan","tag-cop31","tag-dry-pastures","tag-faryab","tag-livestock-owners","tag-thin-livestock"],"views":4,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swn.af\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30834","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/swn.af\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/swn.af\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swn.af\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swn.af\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30834"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/swn.af\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30834\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30839,"href":"https:\/\/swn.af\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30834\/revisions\/30839"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swn.af\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30836"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swn.af\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30834"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swn.af\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30834"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swn.af\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30834"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}