Health and Biodiversity: Thematic Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan
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HEALTH AND BIODIVERSITY: THEMATIC BIODIVERSITY STRATEGY AND ACTION PLAN PREPARED UNDER THE NATIONAL BIODIVERSITY STRATEGY AND ACTION PLAN - INDIA CENTRE FOR INDIAN KNOWLEDGE SYSTEMS, CHENNAI 2002 TABLE OF CONTENTS PART I : MAIN REPORT Pages TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE LIST OF ACRONYMS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION 1 - 3 CHAPTER 2 - DESCRIPTION OF THE THEME 4 - 17 CHAPTER 3 - CURRENT KNOWLEDGE OF HEALTH AND 18 – 38 BIODIVERSITY CHAPTER 4 - ONGOING INITIATIVES 39 - 58 CHAPTER 5 - RECOMMENDATIONS 59 - 68 REFERENCES 69- 73 APPENDIX I : LIST OF MEMBERS OF THE THEMATIC WORK GROUP ON HEALTH AND BIODIVERSITY 74 - 75 APPENDIX II : A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE NBSAP PROCESS 76 - 78 APPENDIX III : LIST OF VARIOUS INDIVIDUALS AND INSTITUTIONS WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THIS PROCESS 79 - 80 LIST OF ANNEXURES (ALL ANNEXURES ARE PART OF VOLUME 2) PART II : ANNEXURES Pages ANNEXURE I – IDENTIFICATION OF VARIOUS STAKEHOLDERS AND INFORMATION TO BE OBTAINED FROM THEM 1 - 3 ANNEXURE II – THE RICHNESS AND DIVERSITY OF FOLK TRADITIONS 4 - 8 ANNEXURE III – LIST OF REDLISTED MEDICINAL PLANTS ASSESSED THROUGH CONSERVATION ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT PLAN WORKSHOP (CAMP) ORGANISED BY FRLHT 9 - 13 ANNEXURE IV – ALL INDIA COORDINATED RESEARCH PROJECT ON ETHNOBIOLOGY 14 - 19 ANNEXURE V – ANIMAL PRODUCTS USED IN AYURVEDIC SYSTEM OF MEDICINE 20 - 22 ANNEXURE VI – ANIMAL PRODUCTS USED IN SIDDHA MEDICINE 23 - 31 ANNEXURE VII – ANIMAL PRODUCTS USED IN UNANI SYSTEM OF MEDICINE 32 ANNEXURE VIII - DATA FROM FOURTEEN NATTUVAIDYA CONVENTIONS 33 - 35 ANNEXURE IX – TRIBAL MEDICINAL TRADITIONS AT KARJAT, WESTERN GHATS, MAHARASHTRA 36 - 44 ANNEXURE X – NATIONAL POLICY ON INDIAN SYSTEMS OF MEDICINE: IN SUMMARY 45 - 47 ANNEXURE XI – TASK FORCE ON CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABLE USE OF MEDICINAL PLANTS : EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AN RECOMMENDATIONS 48 – 56 PREFACE The National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP), a project of the Union Ministry of Environment & Forests (MoEF) aims to produce a series of planning documents dealing with the conservation of India’s biodiversity, sustainable use of its biological resources, and equity including in decisions regarding access to such resources and the benefits accruing from them. The project is funded by the Global Environment Facility through United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). A unique aspect of the project is that its technical execution is by a Technical and Policy Core Group (TPCG) being coordinated by an NGO Kalpavriksh, and its administrative coordination is by Biotech Consortium India Ltd. The NBSAP process has included extremely widespread consultation across the country and across all sectors of society, involving tens of thousands of people. It aims to produce not one national action plan, but 18 local (substate) plans, 33 state and union territory plans, 10 ecoregional (interstate) plans, and 13 thematic plans. All these will coalesce into a national plan, but will also remain independent for implementation purposes. In addition, over 30 thematic papers have been commissioned on a variety of topics related to biodiversity. Within this overall process, one of the action plans is on Health and Biodiversity which has been drafted by a working group consisting of persons experienced in the field. The list of members of the Thematic Work Group which was formed in July-August 2000 has been given in Appendix 1. This report has been put together through a combination of meetings, survey in selected areas and literature survey. Appendix II gives a brief description to the NBSAP process. Appendix III gives a list of various individuals and institutions who have contributed to this process. Various Annexures have been given in Part II of the report. The emphasis has been on making a special effort to obtain inputs from the stake holders whose voice is normally not heard in the planning and implementation process namely – households, folk healers and raw drug collectors. This is a revised form of the initial draft. This is meant to be for wider circulation and feedback from various stake holders before finalisation and incorporation with the effort of the Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan. A.V. BALASUBRAMANIAN Convenor Thematic Working Group – Health and Biodiversity Dated : December, 2002 Chennai. LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AAJVS Andaman Adim Janjati Vikas Samiti A and N Andaman and Nicobar ADS Academy of Development Science AICRPE All India Coordianted Research Project on Ethnobiology AP Andhra Pradesh AVP Arya Vaidya Pharmacy BSI Botanical Survey of India CAMP Conservation Assessment and Management Plan CBD Conservation of Bio Diversity CBD Convention on Biological Diversity CCD Covanent Centre for Development CHETNA Centre for Health, Education and Training in Nutrition Action CIKS Centre for Indian Knowledge Systems CIMAP Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants CITES Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna CP Common Properties CPR Common Property Resources CR Critically Endangered CSIR Council for Scientific and Industrial Research DoE Department of Environment EN Endangered FRLHT Foundation for Revitalization of Local Health Traditions G Globally GSFDC Gujrat State Forest Development Corporation GMP Good Manufacturing Practice Ha Hectares HP Himachal Pradesh ICAR Indian Council for Agricultural Research ICHI Independent Commission on Health in India ICMR Indian Council for Medical Research IPR Intellectual Property Rights ISM Indian Systems of Medicine IUCN International Union for Conservation of Nature J&K Jammu and Kashmir KA Karnataka KFD Kyasanur Forest Disease KHG Kitchen Herbal Garden KL Kerala LSPSS Lok Swasthya Parampara Samvardhan Samithi MAH Maharashtra MoEF Ministry of Environment and Forest MPCA Medicinal Plants Conversation Area MPCN Medicinal Plants Conversation Network NBRI National Botanical Research Institute NBSAP National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan NIN National Institute of Nutrition NISCOM National Institute of Science Communication NNMB National Nutrition Monitoring Bureau NRCMAP National Research Centre for Medicinal and Aromatic Plants NSS National Sample Survey NTFP Non-timber Forest Products PDS Public Distribution System PRI Panchayath Raj Institutions RALHT Rapid Assessment of Local Health Traditions RRC Regional Research Centre SAHAJ Society for Health Alternatives SSC Species Survival Commission TBA Traditional Birth Attendants TBGRI Tropical Botanical Garden and Research Institute TCM Traditional Chinese Medicine TCS Tribal cooperative Societies TEAM Traditional East Asian Medicine TKRC Traditional Knowledge Resource Classification TKDL Traditional Knowledge Digital Library TN Tamil Nadu TWG Thematic Working Group WAHI Women and Health Initiatives WIPO World Intellectual Property Organisation ZSI Zoological Survey of India EXECUTIVE SUMMARY INTRODUCTION Biodiversity in the form of plants and animals from the major resource base of Indian Health Traditions. It provides the basis for health by means of food and medicine. The Thematic Working Group decided to identify the links between health and biodiversity by collecting information from literature as well as from various stakeholders. It was decided to place special emphasis on stakeholders, whose views are generally not heard in the planning process, namely – folk healers, raw drug collectors and households. MAJOR ISSUES The relationship between Nutrition / Agriculture and Biodiversity is very poorly studied and understood. In terms of bioresources, for over a century modern botanical studies have been carried out on the occurrence and distribution of medicinal flora across various geographical zones of India. Traditional medicine has a vast, comprehensive and deep understanding of plants. It is estimated that in Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani traditions, medicines make use of about 2000 plant species while folk traditions use over 9,500 plant species. A large number of animal species (including birds, reptiles, insects etc.) are also used. The “back bone” of the traditional medicinal system is indeed the folk systems whose carriers range from generalists like herbal healers to specialists like Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) and Bonesetters, and also include the vast knowledge of home remedies, food and nutrition, that is found extensively in each household. The ISM establishment has a large infrastructure which however suffers from major draw backs – it is very poorly endowed (receiving less than 5% of the total health budget), it shows no official “awareness” (leave alone giving help or recognition) of the folk traditions and the folk traditions are under a threat of erosion due to diverse reasons. ONGOING INITIATIVES During the last 25 years there have been some hopeful initiatives in the NGO sector to strengthen and revitalize Folk Health Traditions. These have included - formation of sangams of Vaidyas, strengthening the resource base (especially medicinal plants), detailed studies / documentation about specific sites / tribes and some moves to recognize / honor Nattu vaidyas. The efforts of SHODHINI network and the subsequent emergence of WAH (Women and Health Initiative) have given particular emphasis to the assessment of biodiversity and its relation to health needs from the women’s perspective. The government has publicized a draft policy on ISM inviting comments, and a Natural Medicinal Plants Board has been constituted. The Planning Commission has set up a Task Force on promotion and cultivation of medicinal plants. The All India Coordinated Research Project