SAARC experts from South Asia join a three-day virtual training to improve livestock greenhouse gas inventories and promote climate-smart feeding strategies to cut emissions without harming productivity.
Policymakers, scientists and development professionals from across South Asia on Monday joined a three-day virtual SAARC regional training aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from livestock through improved inventory systems and feeding strategies.
The training titled Development of Inventory for Livestock Origin Greenhouse Gases and its Mitigation by Appropriate Feeding Strategy in South Asia began on December 22 2025 and is being organised by the SAARC Agriculture Centre (SAC). The programme seeks to strengthen regional capacity to assess livestock-related emissions and promote practical mitigation measures using science-based feeding interventions.
In his welcome address, Dr Md Harunur Rashid, Director of SAC, said livestock plays a vital role in food security, nutrition, and rural livelihoods across South Asia, but is also a significant source of greenhouse gases, particularly methane and nitrous oxide. He stressed that reliable emission inventories and appropriate feeding strategies are essential to reduce environmental impacts without affecting productivity.
The chief guest, S M Mahbubul Alam, Director General (SAARC and BIMSTEC) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bangladesh, said climate-smart livestock practices are gaining importance in regional and global policy discussions. He said South Asia must align livestock development with international climate commitments while protecting smallholder farmers, adding that regional cooperation and evidence-based policymaking are key to sustainable and inclusive growth in the sector.
Speaking as special guest Tanvir Ahmad Torophder, Director (ARD and SDF) at the SAARC Secretariat, Nepal, reaffirmed SAARC’s commitment to regional cooperation in climate-resilient agriculture and sustainable livestock development. He said capacity-building initiatives like this training are crucial for achieving shared goals under climate change adaptation and mitigation frameworks.
Guest of honour Dr A.K. Samanta, Assistant Director General (Animal Nutrition and Physiology) at ICAR India, highlighted the need to integrate nutrition research with national greenhouse gas inventory systems and policy planning.
The keynote address was delivered by Dr Nitin Tyagi, Principal Scientist at ICAR National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, India. He said smallholder-dominated production systems, poor-quality feed resources and limited data availability remain major challenges in mitigating livestock-origin greenhouse gases in South Asia.
Earlier, Dr Md Younus Ali, Senior Program Specialist (Livestock) at SAC, presented the training overview and objectives. He said the programme aims to familiarise participants with internationally recognised methodologies for greenhouse gas inventory development, particularly those recommended by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
