EE/ESD Program

Title of EE/ESD project

Conservation of Medicinal Plants and Promotion of Indigenous Knowledge and Local Health Traditions among Rural Communities in Wayanad

Created : Oct 18 2007 / Modified : Oct 18 2007

Type of the Project

National / Community Level: Community
Main contents and field: Advocacy / Agriculture / Community Development / Conservation / Ecology Biodiversity / Ecotourism / Nature Awareness / Network / Poverty Alleviation / Public Health / Research / Training / Women Gender

Financial resources (Granted, sponsored by or partnership with)

Organization/Institution

UNDP/Centre for Environment Education

Name of Grant

Amount

1,011,000 INR per year
(22,328 US Dollar)

Target area and people: *The districts of Wayanad,Kannur and Malappuram in Kerala and Nilgiris in Tamil Nadu.
*Small farmers, aboriginal tribes, women and children.

Background/Problems of the project: The target area forms part of Nilgiri bio-sphere, one of the 25 biodiversity hot spots in the world and had a rich flora and fauna. Vast majority of the population, especially the aboriginal tribes and small farmer remain under poverty and ill health. The natural resources including the abundant herbal plants were not conserved or used in a nature friendly sustainable manner, which has led to the extinction of several species. Similarly, Wayanad had a precious medical heritage especially with the indigenous tribal communities, which are not documented or promoted by none.

Objectives/Significance of the project: *To Conserve bio-diversity of Wayanad with special focus on medicinal plant.
*To create awareness among the resource poor rural communities.
*To document indigenous knowledge and local health traditions (LHTs).
*To promote sustainable use of medicinal plants integrating traditional practices as an alternate health care system.
*To create a replicable model.

Description of the project: Conservation education among the target group forms basis of the project. Awareness generation, sensitization and dissemination of knowledge and skills relevant to herb and herbal medicines is undertaken. Documentation of indigenous knowledge and traditional health care practices and its promotion was proposed. Conservation both by the community and by WSSS - at its Resource Centre as a model - was stipulated. The conservation Park of WSSS represents the entire herbal plants in the check list of herbal flora of Wayanad through botanical surveys. A herbal Resource Centre with documentations, reference materials, herbariums, seeds, raw drugs etc. was also proposed to be set up which can be used by students, researchers and the general public. Capacitating village level community facilitators through trainings and exposures in the use of herbal medicines to manage primary health care. Network formation of the trained herbalists and production and promotion of the herbal formulations under good manufacturing practices were also proposed in a sustainable manner. Home Herbal gardens, Centralized mother nursery and regional community nurseries were also proposed as part of conservation and promotion. Collaboration and linkage with potential NGOs and Institutions were also proposed. The network formed in collaboration with WSSS is proposed to sustain the project activities.

Materials/equipments used in the project:: *Medicinal plants for planting in the Ex-situ Conservation Park and Community Conservation units.
*Seeds and saplings for Mother Nursery and community nurseries.
*Herbariums, seeds and raw drugs to facilitate capacitation.
*Herbs and consumables for herbal formulations for Primary Health Care.

Result/Self evaluation (success or failure) including its reasons: Ex-situ Conservation Park with 4400 herbal plants including RET species established in 7-acre plot. 10 community conservation units with a coverage of 1414 families with a minimum of 40 herbs set up. A mother nursery with 10,000 seedlings and ten community nurseries with an average of 2500 seedlings set-up for planting by community in Home Herbal Gardens (HHGs) and commercial cultivation. 1126 HHGs with a minimum of 15 plants have been started. 145 new species have been collected through botanical surveys. A resource Centre set up with reference books, CDs, herbariums, documentations etc. which has been visited by several students, researches, herbalists, traditional physicians, social activists and general public. 80 LHTs have been documented. 269 women trained in 10 herbal preparations essential for practical community level for common diseases. 39 group enterprises of herbal preparations developed and 114 women have been given exposure to other projects and institutions. Networking of practioner is also initiated. Participation in fares and exhibitions analysis of the product is yet other result.

Accomplishments are more than stipulations and the community has internalized the concept and they own the results of their participatory efforts under the project. Several recognitions from different agencies and the wide coverage in the media are certain expressed indicators of success.

Other learning from the project: *Vital role of herbs and herbal medicine in Bio-diversity conservation and rural community development well conceived.
*Herbal Preparations, especially formulated integrating traditional knowledge system under the project, is an effective, affordable alternate for health care system.
*Conservation is possible only with the sensitized motivated community.
*Women are the highly potential change agents in any development effort.
*NGOs can play the roles of advocacy and facilitation comfortably and fruitfully in the areas of herbal medicines and so on.
*Conservation and promotion of herbal medicines can also be a poverty alleviation strategy