CAMEL, THE ANIMAL OF FOOD SECURITY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Abstract

Most camels in the world are located in East African countries, where the arid climate limits livestock alternatives, but camels, which can survive a week without water, are one of the most drought-resistant species. Consequently, pastoralists around the world, particularly in Africa, are shifting from cattle to camel and small ruminant production. In a changing climate scenario, camel, in particular, has a lot of promise for protecting poor and marginal farmers' socioeconomic standing as an alternative source of income. Despite its advantages over other domestic animals, the camel has received little attention, with the majority of attention being focused on cattle, sheep, and goats, among other things. Egypt has a significant deficit in red meat production and, is around 55% self-sufficient (543,000 tons), which is met by importing from abroad, primarily beef, up to 99% of all red meat imports, with a total of 21.5 billion pounds, posing a significant burden on the balance of payments. In this review, the activities of the National Campaign for the Promotion of Camel Productivity under the intensive production system to reduce the gap and enhance local red meat production are being explained, considering the harsh conditions brought on by climate change, drought, water scarcity, and environmental implications. In addition, the common camel diseases and rumen microbial populations and its classification are taking place in the review.