Extreme heat and drought are threatening bee populations in Iraq

Bee farmers that once used to operate in central Iraq are now heading to the mountains of Kurdistan to escape extreme heat and an ongoing drought, AFP writes. Beehives thrive in temperatures between 34.5-35.5 °C, and temperatures of c. 50°C in Basra and Baghdad are no longer suitable for honey farming. High temperatures affect the lifespan of bees, decreasing it by two thirds in some cases, bee farmer Mohamed Aliawi told AFP.

Affecting honey production: Bees normally cover hundreds of meters to forage for nectar and pollen necessary for honey production, but extreme heat and ongoing drought are driving bees in central Iraq to travel longer distances — up to 5 km— to pollinate, AFP notes. In spite of a growth in honey production last year in Baghdad and in Kurdistan, production volumes are below those bee farmers used to record earlier in the 2000s. In the early 2000s, each beehive would produce between 20-25 kg of honey, Aliawi notes. Drought and extreme heat are currently driving down production to just 5 kg, he says. Climate change is severely impacting global bee populations because it destroys their habitats and food sources, and changes their seasonal routines.

Bee populations are declining at an unprecedented rate globally: Bee species have dropped 25% between 2006-2015 globally compared to population sizes recorded before 1990 partly owing to climate-driven shifts in weather patterns. In our neck of the woods, climate change has been weighing on Egypt’s honey industry, with industry players attributing the decline of honey production to climate-induced shifts in weather delaying harvest seasons, which is ultimately reducing bee population sizes.

Why should we care? Some 3%-5% of fruit, vegetable, and nut production is lost due to inadequate pollination, according to a study in Environmental Health Perspectives, which has led to an estimated 427k excess deaths a year from lost healthy food consumption and associated diseases. Treatments for diseases and conditions like multiple sclerosis, osteoarthritis, and chronic fatigue syndrome also rely on bee venom.