Climate change is destroying honey production in Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan produces some of the best honey in the world, but the industry is in danger, as glaciers have reduced the irrigation of alpine pastures, and the number of bees has plummeted due to uncontrolled pesticide use.Credit: Azattyk Media
on the second day COP 26 In Glasgow, Kyrgyz leader Sadyr Japarov (Sadyr Japarov) Ambitious statement Seek help from international organizations within the framework of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. He also mentioned the most challenging glacier problem in Kyrgyzstan. At the same time, the country’s small glaciers are in danger of disappearing by 2050. The disappearance of the glacier had a devastating effect on farmers in the area. Irrigation water has been reduced, and pastures have not grown well.
This situation not only affects individual farmers, but also the beekeeping industry in Kyrgyzstan, which is considered the best honey quality sector in the world.
Taalaibek Saatov is a 60-year-old farmer who has kept bees on the slopes of one of the most beautiful places in Kyrgyzstan, Sary-Uzen Chui, where the rivers are nourished by glacial meltwater. . However, in the past two years, his fun in beekeeping has been interrupted. Mainly due to climate change, harvesting from about 20 hives has become increasingly difficult.
“The spring in Cuidi this year came very late. As soon as the bees needed flowers, the weather exceeded 30 degrees Celsius and the flowers in the fields withered. Since May 2021, there have been no more than four rains. My bees suffered such extremes. And unusual climatic conditions.”
In addition, Talebek said farmers are using uncontrolled pesticides to increase crop yields. After he moved to alpine pastures, the methods applied to the fields in May and June led to the mass extinction of his bees.
Kyrgyzstan’s unique geographical environment allowed the large-scale production of high-quality honey in the past. The country has vast alpine pastures, covered with various honey-producing plants.
The honey produced in Kyrgyzstan is recognized as the best quality organic honey in international festivals around the world. In 2014, at the 44th International Honey Festival held in South Korea, the quality of Kyrgyz honey from the At-Bashy Heights was the first.
As glaciers melt and climate changes, some beekeepers have to move hives to higher mountain pastures to find enough wildflowers for their bees.Credit: Azattyk Media
As the country’s beekeeping industry is declining year by year, the world-famous Kyrgyz honey suffers from climate change and soil degradation. The pesticide industry is developing, and the government has not yet issued any regulations to control the use of pesticides. Most importantly, extreme weather conditions have not yet been identified as a problem by the government. In the 1990s, 12,000 honey farms produced more than 10,000 tons of honey. The number of beekeepers has dropped to a staggering low of 1,000, and only 3,000 tons of honey are produced in a year.
In remote areas, the United Nations Development Program has been supporting beekeeping in local villages to deal with harsh weather conditions, but government organizations have turned a blind eye to this issue.
Beekeeper Talebek has been unable to accommodate beehives on the green slope for a long time. This year he had to climb to the top of the mountain to find wildflower pastures for his bees. However, the drought in Central Asia in 2021 destroyed the blooming grass very early and disappointed his search.
“If you go up the mountain now, everything will be yellow and brown,” he said. “When you step on the grass, you will see that it has dried up. Usually in May, Cui’s fields bloom until July, until then we don’t need to climb the mountain. Then in July and August, when When the mountains bloom, the beekeepers begin to migrate. We need to reach the mountains in early June of this year. But there are no flowers on the grasslands on the mountains.”
It is now autumn in Kyrgyzstan, but Talebek will spend the whole winter thinking about how to find a blooming pasture or field next spring and how to raise his beloved bees.
Beekeeping is essential for the livelihood of the people of Kyrgyzstan and pollinating wild native plants in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan. Even in one of the most remote areas in the world, seeing how climate change and pesticide use affects can be devastating. Solving these problems is crucial to advancing sustainable development.
