Water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) as a sustainable alternative in the context of climate change

Abstract

Global warming poses a major challenge to livestock farming, both as a driver of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and as a source of heat stress (HS) that compromises animal welfare and productivity. Thresholds of the temperature-humidity index (THI) are shown to directly affect productivity and reproduction, with marked declines observed under severe HS conditions. This manuscript presents a narrative review with a structured literature search conducted between August and October 2025 across Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and ScienceDirect, using predefined keywords and inclusion criteria to identify relevant studies on buffalo physiology, management, and sustainability. The review highlights distinctive thermoregulatory traits of water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis), including low hair follicle density, enlarged sweat glands, enhanced sebaceous activity, and a strong behavioral preference for immersion, which collectively support evaporative cooling under high thermal loads. From an environmental perspective, buffaloes contribute less methane (CH4) per head and per unit of product compared to cattle, while maintaining efficiency in the utilization of low-quality forages. Overall, buffalo farming integrates physiological resilience with environmental advantages, positioning the species as a sustainable alternative in the context of climate change, offering climate-resilient livestock pathways with lower emissions per functional unit and robust thermoregulation.