Bees, once buzzing in honey-producing Basra, hit by Iraq's water crisis

By Mohammed Atti

BASRA, Iraq (Reuters) -Bees once thrived among the date palms along the Shatt al-Arab, where Iraq’s mighty Tigris and Euphrates rivers meet, but drought has shrivelled the green trees and life in the apiaries that dot the riverbank is under threat.

In the historic port city of Basra, beekeepers following centuries-long traditions are struggling to produce honey as the salinity of water in Shatt al-Arab rises, along with extreme heat and persistent droughts that have disturbed the bees’ delicate ecosystem.

“Bees need clean … water. The lack of this water leads to their death,” said Mahmoud Shaker, 61, a professor at Basra University who has his own apiary.

BASRA WAS KNOWN FOR ITS HONEY

The banks of the Shatt al-Arab were once a lush jungle where bees would feast, produ