Climate crisis stings Nepal’s honey gatherers, threatens tradition

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🗞️ Driving the news: Rising temperatures and climate change are threatening the traditional honey gathering practices of the Gurung community in Nepal, as bee populations and hive numbers decline

🔭 The context: The Gurung community has harvested honey from Himalayan cliffs for generations, using handmade bamboo ladders to access the hives
• The decline in bee populations, attributed to climate change, deforestation, water diversion, and pesticide use, has significantly reduced their honey yield over the past decade

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: The decline of bees disrupts pollination, impacting crop yields and biodiversity
• Additionally, the loss of traditional honey gathering practices affects cultural heritage and the rural economy, which relies on honey production and ecotourism

⏭️ What's next: Experts warn that continued climate change could further harm bee populations and their habitats, necessitating urgent action to protect these ecosystems and support sustainable livelihoods for communities like the Gurung

💬 One quote: "We harvested about 600kg of honey 10 years back, which fell to about 180kg last year and is just about 100kg this year," says Hem Raj Gurung, a local honey gatherer

📈 One stat: The Gurung community's honey yield has dropped from 600kg (1,300lb) to 100kg (220lb) over the past decade

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