Bees are indispensable components of terrestrial ecosystems, providing essential pollination services that sustain biodiversity, agricultural productivity, and human wellbeing. In rapidly urbanising landscapes, pollinators are increasingly exposed to interacting anthropogenic stressors, including habitat fragmentation, chemical pollution, climate change, and disease. At the same time, cities offer novel opportunities for pollinator conservation through green infrastructure, responsible management, and public engagement. From a One Health perspective, bees represent a critical nexus linking environmental integrity, animal health, and human systems.
This narrative review synthesises current evidence on bee diversity, biology, and behaviour in urban environments, with particular emphasis on how anthropogenic stressors influence pollinator health and ecosystem services. The ecological and socio-economic importance of pollination, the mechanistic pathways through which urban stressors affect individual bees and colonies, and the role of urban green spaces as refuges and resilience mechanisms were examined. The review further evaluates the opportunities and risks associated with managed honeybees in cities, as it highlights the need for coexistence-oriented approaches that balance apiculture with wild pollinator conservation. A concise case study from Bulgaria illustrates how community-based urban beekeeping initiatives can contribute to One Health objectives when embedded within broader ecological and governance frameworks.
Overall, the review positions urban pollinators as both providers of critical ecosystem services and sensitive bioindicators of environmental change. Protecting bees in cities requires integrated strategies that align urban planning, environmental governance, animal health management, and citizen participation. Such One Health-oriented approaches are essential for building resilient urban ecosystems capable of supporting biodiversity, sustainable food systems, and healthy human populations.