How IWT Suspension Threatens Pakistan’s Honey Industry
Fakhar e Alam
Peshawar: As the first light of dawn spreads over the plains of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 32-year-old beekeeper Hussain Khan begins another journey not of leisure, but of survival.
In his hometown of Nowshera, dwindling bee flora has forced him to load 500 wooden bee boxes onto a truck bound for Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), chasing water, flowers, and the hope of sustaining his livelihood.
For Hussain and thousands of migratory beekeepers from Nowshera, Swabi, and Mardan, this seasonal migration is not a pastime; it is an economic necessity. Rising temperatures dry up blossoms in the plains, leaving little for bees to forage.
The beekeepers follow the rivers and nectar-rich plants, moving to areas where flowering cycles are sustained by flowing waters.
The Jhelum and Chenab rivers, flowing through Muzaffarabad, Punjab, and surrounding regions, nurture trees such as ber and phulai, providing ideal conditions for bees to produce honey in substantial quantities, critical for both local and international markets.
But now, the suspension of the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) by India casts a shadow over this fragile lifeline.
Water is Life for Bees
“Water is life for bees,” says Iftikhar Khalil, former Director of the Apiculture Forest Department. “When water channels are blocked, bee flora disappears. When flowers don’t bloom, bees cannot collect nectar and either migrate or die.”
Pakistan is home to four major bee species: the native apis cerana (small bee), apis dorsata (wild bee), apis florea (little bee), and the imported apis mellifera, introduced in 1977, which now dominates commercial production.
The latter species is particularly sensitive to environmental stress and water shortages; even minor climate shocks can sharply reduce honey yields. Apis mellifera can produce 20–25 kilograms of honey per box twice a year under optimal conditions.
Migration and Survival
Every spring, Hussain shifts his colonies to river-fed regions, especially Azad Kashmir. Last summer, flooding of the Kabul River destroyed much of his small farm in Mohib Banda, Nowshera. “I had to move quickly to Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) to save what I could,” he recalls. “We go where there is water, bees flora plants, and flowers.”
Beekeepers from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa also migrate to Punjab districts such as Sialkot, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Mandi Bahauddin, Jhang, and Multan along the Chenab River, as well as Muzaffarabad, Mirpur, and Jhelum along the Jhelum River. These areas, bolstered by afforestation drives, provide essential nectar sources to millions of bees.
Economic and Ecological Implications
Industry leaders warn that prolonged uncertainty over river access due to the IWT suspension could ripple across Pakistan’s agricultural economy, impacting staple crops, orchards, and export-oriented honey production.
Sher Zaman, General Secretary of the All Pakistan Beekeepers Association, cautioned that prized ber and phulai honey exports to Saudi Arabia, UAE, the United States, China, Azerbaijan, and Malaysia could decline, putting thousands of rural families at financial risk.
Beyond economics, bees play a vital ecological role. They are critical pollinators, responsible for nearly one-third of global food production. Fruits such as apples, almonds, and cucumbers rely heavily on their activity.
“Bees are guardians of our ecosystem,” Khalil notes. “Losing them would not just threaten the honey industry but also food supply, agriculture, and global biodiversity, and could increase desertification.”
Travellers along the Islamabad–Peshawar Motorway and Indus Highway already witness expanding stretches of dry land in Swabi, Mardan, Karak, and Dera Ismail Khan — stark reminders of drought and desertification. As erratic rainfall and prolonged dry spells intensify, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s beekeepers find themselves on the frontline of environmental uncertainty.
Calls for Support
Beekeepers are urging the government to ensure uninterrupted river flows, implement climate-smart agricultural policies, promote the plantation of nectar-producing trees, provide disease management support, offer interest-free loans, and give formal recognition to ease the challenges of seasonal migration.
For Hussain Khan, the suspension of the IWT feels like a direct attack on Pakistan’s honey production. Watching his truck disappear toward Azad Kashmir, he reflects: “When flowers bloom, the bees sing. But if the water stops, the bees die. And if the bees die, what will happen to us?”
This poignant question underscores the intertwined fate of Pakistan’s rivers, its bees, and the livelihoods of thousands of rural families who depend on them.
