全球气温持续攀升正对非洲骆驼种群造成严重威胁。埃塞俄比亚、肯尼亚、索马里等地的牧民报告称，骆驼因极端高温出现大量死亡、疾病增加和生产力下降。[1]
在索马里，形势尤为严峻。当地Sool地区的骆驼死亡率达到近73%，干旱相关的骆驼死亡危机影响了近46%的养骆驼家庭。[1]部分地区水价因干旱上升超过2000%。[1]肯尼亚Marsabit县在过去两年中骆驼死亡也增加了超过15%。[1]个别牧民损失惨重——牧民Ali Umer在过去一个月内因极端高温失去了8只骆驼犊。[1]
气候数据揭示了问题的根源。北非地区自1981年以来以0.43℃/十年的速率升温，是六个子区域中升温最快的。[1]世界气象组织报告称2024年该地区多国气温超过50℃。[1]
科研人员指出，这些温度已远超骆驼的生理承受能力。Dr Mohammed Benumi表示："撒哈拉许多地区，夏季温度现在频繁超过50℃，增加了严重热应激的风险。"[1]Professor Abdelmadjid Chehma进一步解释："我们的工作表明41-45℃以上持续日夜高温直接攻击其细胞。"[1]
Africa's camel populations are facing a severe survival crisis driven by soaring temperatures and prolonged drought across the continent. Herders in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, and beyond report unprecedented losses as the animals that have long thrived in arid environments reach their thermal limits.
Ali Umer lost eight young camels within a single month due to extreme heat [1]. In Somalia's Sool region, mortality rates have reached nearly 73 percent [1], with drought-related camel deaths affecting close to 46 percent of herding families [1]. Kenya's Marsabit County has experienced a surge of more than 15 percent in camel deaths over the past two years [1].
The underlying cause is a dramatic warming trend across North Africa, which has heated at a rate of 0.43 degrees Celsius per decade between 1991 and 2025—the fastest warming among six regional subdivisions [1]. The World Meteorological Organization reported that in 2024, multiple countries across the region experienced temperatures exceeding 50 degrees Celsius [1]. Dr. Mohammed Benumi noted that "in many parts of the Sahara, summer temperatures now frequently exceed 50 degrees Celsius, increasing the risk of severe heat stress" [1].
The physiological toll on camels is significant. Professor Abdelmadjid Chehma explained that "our research shows sustained high temperatures of 41-45 degrees Celsius and above, occurring both day and night, directly attack their cells" [1]. Camels typically thrive in temperatures up to 40 degrees Celsius, leaving them increasingly vulnerable to current conditions [1].
The crisis extends beyond mortality. In some Somali regions, water prices have surged by more than 2,000 percent due to drought [1], compounding the challenges faced by pastoral communities dependent on these animals for survival.