How Climate Change Has Hit Chambal's Beekeepers And Food Systems

By Satish Malviya

Dindori, Madhya Pradesh: Anita Dhakad (34), from Dhurkuta village in the Chambal region, was barely managing to run her household three years ago by selling milk from a single cow. Troubled by financial hardship, she began beekeeping after forming the "Bhagwan Shankar Self-Help Group" (SHG) with two other women. The group now includes six members and is part of a larger network of 12 SHGs in her block, where 300 women, many from the Sahariya tribal community, rely on bees for survival.

"Three years ago, we formed a group and took a loan of Rs 3 lakh, with which we bought 100 bee boxes," Dhakad said. Beekeeping brought good profits, they saved around Rs 2 lakh and repaid the loan on time. Encouraged, the group took a second loan of Rs 6 lakh to expand to 250 boxes.

However, the extreme heat became a death sentence for the colonies, bees in 100 boxes died, triggering heavy losses.

Dhakad explained that weather has always shaped their toil. In extreme cold and fog, bees produce less honey, in excessive heat, they die. "My husband and I take the bee boxes to the plains of the Ganga," she said, "but this time profits have declined, and transporting them elsewhere will be very expensive, especially since many bees have already died." She is now worried about the upcoming summer and how she will repay the loan.

Pollination-dependent economy

In the Morena district, beekeeping—centered on the European honeybee (Apis mellifera)—has grown into a significant rural livelihood. According to regional data, there are around 4,500-5,000 beekeepers managing 55,000-60,000 colonies. They produce about 5,124 tonnes of honey, making Morena the top honey-producing district in Madhya Pradesh.

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But this economy rests entirely on pollination. Entomologist Naveen Jangid warned that if bees disappear, crops dependent on cross-pollination will collapse. "Pollination will not happen properly. This will impact both the quantity and quality of crops," Jangid said, adding that the crisis will affect nutrition and the entire food chain. He noted that around 80% of flowering and fruit-bearing plants depend on pollination, and 30-35% of India's agricultural production is linked to it. Of the country's 15-20 major food crops, many depend on pollination by as much as 80-90%, while oilseeds like mustard depend on it by 60%.

"The better the pollination, the higher the yield and the more nutritious the produce," Jangid said. "Without it, both production and nutritional value are affected." He noted that both wild and domesticated bees are being impacted equally, and what we see today is "not just a warning, but a preliminary stage of a larger crisis."

The silent decline

The Chambal region is known for mustard-flower honey, but changing climate patterns are scrambling flowering cycles, pollen availability, and crop duration.

A study titled Impact of Climate Change on Honeybees and Crop Production notes that bees are highly sensitive to thermal stress. Their populations are declining sharply, by up to 30% annually in some cases. Furthermore, research suggests that climate change has already slashed overall honey production in India by 15-20%.

Benilal Kushwaha, a beekeeper from Mirghan village, recounted how the mustard season ended early this year due to excessive heat. Consequently, he had to move his 600 bee boxes 150 km away to coriander fields in Datia district. "There was a shortage of food for bees, and they started dying," he said. Because of these shifts, beekeepers now have to migrate 5-6 times a year.

Transporting bee boxes costs around Rs 2 lakh annually, while maintenance requires two workers year-round, costing another Rs 2 lakh. Rent must also be paid for the fields where the boxes are placed. Irregular weather has also invited mite infestations, which caused heavy losses this year. Additionally, farmers are adopting new crop varieties and using more pesticides to increase yield and cope with climate impacts, which further affects bees.

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Pramod Sharma, a beekeeper since 2002 with 250 boxes, observed a sharp turning point. "From 2002 to 2010, we faced no issues. But after 2010, production started declining, and the last two years have been the worst. Bees are no longer healthy, they die quickly and are not growing properly." He attributed this to the dual blow of climate change and hybrid crops. Currently, he has moved his bee boxes up to 400 km away to the banks of the Yamuna River.

Labor migration with bees

Amod Kushwaha (35), from Meena Pur village in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district, has spent 20 years following the bees. Currently working in a coriander field in Guna district, he manages 600 boxes belonging to Dhakad's SHG and other beekeepers. While the bees sting him repeatedly as he works, he laughs it off: "Bees sting… it's natural."

Kushwaha noted that due to rising heat, colonies are collapsing faster and queen bees are not surviving long. When a queen dies early, the entire colony stops growing. He migrates with bees across states—from Assam to Punjab—for 8-9 months a year, and hundreds of people from his district Muzaffarpur are engaged in similar work. Due to weather changes, frequent migration is necessary, sometimes even within a month.

Swati Tomar, a researcher at Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia Agricultural University, explained that due to climate change, bees are dying because they are unable to find sufficient food and water, their hives are getting damaged, and they are becoming more vulnerable to pests and diseases. When food is scarce, artificial food is given, but it fails to support colony growth or reproduction. This makes migration a desperate necessity rather than a choice. Increased disease and pest attacks are also weakening colonies and reducing honey production.

A global warning

The crisis in Chambal reflects a global trend. Research titled Impact of Climate Change on Honey Bees and other Pollinators indicates that global honey production currently stands at 1.72 million metric tonnes, with China being the largest producer. Despite having the highest number of bee colonies, India ranks eighth in honey production, producing about 133,200 metric tonnes. The same research notes that India has seen a decline of over 40% in bee populations in the past 25 years. Other nations are suffering even more: Germany, Poland, and Brazil have recorded declines of 57%, 35%, and 53% respectively.

Explaining the mechanics of this decline, Jangid pointed out that monsoon patterns have changed, either there is too little rain or too much in a short time. Temperatures are reaching 45-48°C, while bees function best at 34-35°C. "As a result, bees spend extra energy cooling their hives, reducing their ability to collect pollen. Earlier, a queen bee laid 1,500-2,000 eggs, but now it is down to around 1,000 due to lack of proper nutrition," he said.

This article was originally published in 101 Reporters under Creative Common license. Read the original article.

[KS]

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