Climate change poses a major threat to livestock livelihoods in sub-Saharan Africa, especially for smallholder farmers relying on climate-sensitive systems. This study examined farmers’ perceptions of climate change and its impact on livestock productivity in Luangwa District, Lusaka Province, Zambia. A cross-sectional survey involving 129 smallholder livestock farmers was conducted using structured questionnaires. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, ranking indices, and Likert-scale mean scores. Results showed universal awareness (100%) of climate change among respondents, with major indicators being reduced rainfall (93%), rising temperatures (93%), unpredictable weather (100%), and increased livestock diseases (80%). Deforestation (rank index=0.266) was seen as the main cause, followed by population pressure (0.223) and agricultural activities (0.174). Climate variability was believed to negatively affect livestock through less pasture (mean score 4.46), more diseases (4.48), water shortages (4.53), heat stress (4.48), decreased fertility (4.43), and higher feed costs (4.58). Farmers used several adaptation strategies, with vaccination (0.32), herd size reduction (0.25), and feed storage (0.22) ranked most important. Constraints included lack of funds (0.19), insufficient pasture (0.17), limited information (0.14), and weak institutional support (0.04). Despite challenges, most farmers rated their adaptation efforts as moderately effective and showed strong willingness (99.22%) to participate in future programs. This study offers empirical insights into perception-driven livestock adaptation in low-input systems, informing climate-smart livestock policies and extension in Zambia. It highlights the need for enhanced institutional support, targeted extension services, and climate-smart interventions to improve resilience and sustainability of smallholder livestock systems in Luangwa District.
Manyanga et al. (Sat,) studied this question.