Moroccan bee farms collapse amid drought - in pictures

One of the oldest hive collections in the world, dating back to 1850, is under threat due to climate change

A beekeeper works at Inzerki Apiary in the village of Inzerki, Morocco. All photos by AFP

The beekeeping centre is situated on a hillside in the heart of the Arganeraie Biosphere Reserve, a Unesco-protected 2.5-million-hectare region.

Morocco's village of Inzerki proudly claims to have the world's oldest and largest collective beehive, but instead of buzzing with springtime activity, the colonies have collapsed amid crippling drought.

The North African kingdom has experienced a surge in the number of deaths of the critical pollinators, a phenomenon called "colony collapse disorder".

Inzerki Apiary comprises a five-storey structure of wooden struts and dry mud, stretching along a hillside.

Each compartment is home to a cylindrical wicker hive, covered with a mix of earth and cow dung.

(FILES) In this file photo taken on February 25, 2020, a beekeeper works at the Inzerki Apiary in the village of Inzerki, 82 km north of Agadir, in the Souss-Massa region. - Morocco's village of Inzerki proudly claims to have the world's oldest and largest collective beehive, but instead of buzzing with springtime activity, the colonies have collapsed amid crippling drought. (Photo by FADEL SENNA / AFP)

The UAM beekeepers union estimates that, since last August, about 100,000 colonies have been lost in the central region of Beni Mellal-Khenifra alone.

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