Asian elephants and climate change

The document identifies that while Asian elephants possess some resilience due to habitat and dietary diversity, they are vulnerable to climate change due to sensitivity to high temperatures, water requirements, and low adaptive capacity caused by habitat fragmentation and slow reproduction. It argues that conservation priorities must focus on securing fresh water, maintaining connected habitats, and mitigating human-elephant conflict exacerbated by climate stressors.

• Asian elephants exhibit both resilience and vulnerability to climate change; their ability to inhabit diverse habitats and eat various vegetation aids resilience, but they are threatened by high temperatures, invasive plants, and disease.
• The species has a low adaptive capacity resulting from limited dispersal due to habitat fragmentation, slow reproductive rates, long generation times, and moderate genetic variation.
• Fresh water availability is a critical concern affecting reproduction, migration, and daily activities, while climate stressors on humans may increase existing threats like poaching and human-elephant conflict.

APA

WWF International (n.d.). Asian elephants and climate change. https://www.worldwildlife.org/our-work/wildlife/wildlife-and-climate-change/asian-elephants-and-climate-change/

Chicago

WWF International. Asian elephants and climate change. n.d. https://www.worldwildlife.org/our-work/wildlife/wildlife-and-climate-change/asian-elephants-and-climate-change/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF International |title=Asian elephants and climate change |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/our-work/wildlife/wildlife-and-climate-change/asian-elephants-and-climate-change/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfinternationalndasian, author = {{WWF International}}, title = {{Asian elephants and climate change}}, institution = {WWF International}, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/our-work/wildlife/wildlife-and-climate-change/asian-elephants-and-climate-change/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }