Understanding Farmers’ Livelihoods in Managing Swamp Buffalo in Adapting to Climate Change in South Sumatra

For decades, swamp buffalos have had economic and cultural significance for communities living on peatlands, acting as a financial safety net and a source of local customs in several districts of South Sumatra. Currently, there has been a shift in the behavior of small-scale farmers who prioritize agricultural practices that generate money, thus leading to the marginalization of swamp buffalo management. Breeders of swamp buffalo now face a challenge due to climate change, which has reduced their access to natural grass for buffalo’s feed during extreme weather. This research aimed to determine the understanding and views of buffalo breeders regarding climate change’s influence on semi-intensive swamp buffalo management, and the breeders’ strategies to mitigate its impact. For this reason, field observations, surveys, and semi-structured interviews were conducted to the swamp buffalo farmers that were selected randomly. The data were analyzed descriptively and qualitatively. Most of the swamp buffalo breeders realized the impact of climate change through decreasing the quantity and quality of grass on traditional grazing land, which reduced the productivity of swamp buffalo. During extreme weather, swamp buffalos forage for natural grass in more distant locations, which loses weight and weakens the health of the buffalos. Addressing the dwindling food sources and unpredictable weather patterns has forced swamp buffalo ranchers to change their practices in maintaining the productivity and well-being of the swamp buffalo population. The process and strategy for adaptation in climate change will differ for each swamp buffalo breeder depending on their experience, knowledge, and financial capabilities. Swamp buffalo breeders tend to choose simple and more economical adaptation measures, such as finding natural grass, mowing as additional feed in the pen, and impounding sick and emaciated buffalo for more intensive care. The swamp buffalo owners graze their animals to the grazing areas where natural grasses are abundance for a short period; however, they rarely do so because it costs a lot of money. Nowadays, livestock has become an integral component of the livelihoods of peatlands. In the future, it is necessary to shift the livestock system from semi-intensive to intensive to improve the quality of swamp buffalo farming and ensure the sustainability of swamp buffalo farming.