Side Event

Securing Ecological and Community Wellbeing through Strategic Innovative Partnerships among Government, Industry, Community and Folk Healers

Organizer
United Nations Development Programme

Date and Time
1 January 0001 0:0 - 0:0

Meeting
Twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity

Traditional medicine in India is based on the rich medicinal plants diversity and serves as a major source of health care for 65% of the population. More than 90% of these are sourced from natural forests and Parks that are controlled by the Government. Traditional knowledge and practices of local and indigenous (tribal) communities living in and around forests and parks has helped people attain health and livelihoods security in the remote rural parts of the country. Over the years, folk healers have developed techniques and practices for sustainable collection and use. However recent spurt in demand of natural products and increase in raw material procurement has led to unsustainable collection practices, affecting the health of the park/ forests. Besides, it has affected traditional uses and livelihoods. Government of India and UNDP have been supporting initiatives in India for the past 15 years for management and conservation of medicinal plants especially globally significant ones. The objective is to contribute to ecological and community health security through local action. Projects have attempted to bring convergence among a range of stakeholders – Central and the State Governments, private sector, local communities including women farmers and collectors, traders, folk healers, Self-help groups, to ensure conservation, sustainable use and cultivation of rare, endangered and threatened medicinal plants. In an on-going project supported by the GEF and the Government of India, UNDP has successfully demonstrated a number of ex-situ and in-situ conservation measures which we would like to share at the CoP 12 to CBD. India has declared 112 Medicinal Plants Conservation Areas (MPCAs) covering an area of 22,400 hectares for in-situ conservation of natural site that are managed as hands-off area for conservation of identified flagship and associated species jointly by the Government and local communities. Sustainable collection techniques and cultivation of medicinal plants are being promoted. Home – herbal gardens have been set up across the country in rural and urban areas to reduce the pressure on forests and parks and promote folk healers, community and family health and well-being. Establishing MPCAs is an important step towards achieving Aichi Target 11.