Information from ICIMOD - Conserving wild bees and promoting Apis cerana beekeeping

Faroog Ahmad, Surendra Joshi and Min Gurung

Here we bring you another article with news about the work of the Austrian Government funded beekeeping project at ICIMOD in Kathmandu, Nepal. In BIDJ 66 we described our approaches to gathering indigenous knowledge on honeybees and in this issue bring news about the activities of BEENPRO, a committed and active local NGO.

ICIMOD's Honeybee Project is focusing on many different aspects related to conservation and promotion of the four indigenous species of honeybees in the Himalayas. During a preliminary survey of Apis Iaboriosa nesting sites in Nepal, project staff encountered a group of committed activists in the Kaski District (see the end of this article) who were concerned about the conservation of wild bees. The motor in this group, Major Ram Prasad Gurung had close links with the (mostly Gurung) honey hunter communities. The ICIMOD Project supported the group in their efforts to establish a formally registered NGO for advocacy and action related to bee conservation. 'BEENPRO', or more properly ‘Annapurna Beekeeping and Environment Promotion’ was registered in May 2000, and became the ICIMOD Project's major implementing partner in Kaski District. Its members are drawn from honey hunter communities and other socially concerned people in the area and it has become highly active and successful in promoting an approach combining conservation with sustainable exploitation.

Together, BEENPRO and ICIMOD Project staff made a detailed survey of the habitats and nesting areas of Apis laboriosa, and found that the bee was threatened by a number of factors including irresponsible honey hunting, changes in agricultural and forest landscapes, cliff ownership changes, and ignorance at the policy and grass roots levels. At the same time Apis cerana was found being kept in local log and wall hives in different villages in the area, suggesting that there was a great scope for developing beekeeping with this species. Together, BEENPRO and ICIMOD staff developed a strategy to address both issues in unison.

An ‘Appreciative Participatory Planning and Action' approach was used to facilitate capacity building of BEENPRO members, beekeepers, honey hunters, and members of other interested NGOs. Stakeholders were trained in various aspects of conservation-based apiculture such as pollination, hive carpentry, queen rearing, colony management, selection processes, and marketing of bee products, all of which are now supporting the development of beekeeping with Apis cerana.

Honey hunters with a high local standing helped the ICIMOD Project to carry out an intensive field study to understand the dynamics of Apis laboriosa populations and its socio-cultural and livelihood roles in the local community. Using this information, a massive campaign was launched for conserving Apis laboriosa populations in the area. Project staff also learnt much about the dynamics and processes of honey hunting, and were exposed to a hidden wealth of indigenous knowledge about wild bees and valuable information about their interactions with people and the environment.

BEENPRO has become a highly successful, dynamic, and lively organisation supported by beekeepers, honey hunters, and social activists alike, many of whom are actively involved in its development endeavours. With the help of the Project, it has become a recognised and concerned stakeholder for the conservation of Apis laboriosa nesting sites, providing members with the leverage to regulate honey hunting and coordinate honey hunters in the area. Other successful activities include the establishment of a small bee-based micro-enterprise in the central area of Pokhara town where bees, bee products, and beekeeping equipment are traded; and the establishment of an Apis cerana apiary, which now serves as a training and multiplication centre for the area (see cover of BfDJ 66). In Kaski, beekeepers trained by the ICIMOD Project and BEENPRO have adopted Apis cerana queen rearing and management processes as an integral part of their beekeeping system, and Apis cerana beekeeping is expanding on a modern footing.

The secret of BEENPRO's success lies in the members, who are firmly rooted in the local area and committed to protecting their local environment and way of life, while helping local people to improve their livelihoods. The ICIMOD Project has been able to provide the links to a broader context and the information and facilities for training and capacity building of members. BEENPRO, as the Project's implementing partner, has been effective in reaching out to the local community and disseminating the ICIMOD Project's findings.

Further information

Kaski District is located in western Nepal. The central town is Pokhara, the popular tourist destination with well-established and developed tourist tracks particularly around the high Himalayan mountains of Machapuchare and I Annapurnas and il. Maintenance and sustainability of the remaining pristine environment is vital for the social and economic stability of the area. The prevalence of the two indigenous honeybee species, the Himalayan cliff bee Apis laboriosa and the Asian hive bee Apis cerana, can be seen as an indicator of environmental quality. They are important for maintaining floral biodiversity, and provide indicators of the potential for sustainable tourism, and hence economic stability.