If We Can't Count Them, We Can't Protect Them: Exploring Policy, Implementation, and Welfare Gaps for Working Animals in Disaster Risk Management

ABSTRACT

Working animals are essential to the food and livelihood security and resilience of millions of households living in low‐ and middle‐income countries. Yet, they remain largely invisible in disaster risk management (DRM) policies and data systems. This research presents findings from a formative, participatory study conducted across Ethiopia, India, Kenya, Nicaragua, Pakistan, and Senegal, designed to assess the needs of government and community decision makers regarding the inclusion of animals, particularly equids, in DRM frameworks. Using mixed qualitative methods and policy mapping, evidence revealed that while DRM policies frequently mention animals, references are generic and focus primarily on livestock, with working animals often omitted. Animal welfare policies, meanwhile, rarely address disaster risk beyond diseases the animals may confront. Across all countries an important gap persists: the absence of comprehensive, up‐to‐date animal census data, especially for working animals. Authorities and communities alike reported that this lack of data undermines preparedness, response, and recovery, confirming it is hard to protect what you cannot count. The study concludes that robust, disaggregated animal census and welfare data are urgently needed to inform effective DRM. We recommend embedding animals more thoroughly in DRM systems, strengthening community‐level data collection, and promoting inclusive, data‐driven policy reform to ensure that animals—and the communities who depend on them—are not left uncounted or unprotected.