Baltistan Herbal, Medicinal and Aaromatic Plants Project (PAK/96/01)
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Country:
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PAKISTAN
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Grantee:
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Baltistan Health and Education Foundation - BHEF (Non-government Organization)
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Focal Area:
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Biodiversity
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Op. Program:
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OP4 - Mountain Ecosystems
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Project Type:
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Full
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Operational Phase:
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Phase 1
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Dates:
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4/1997 - 9/1998
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Grant Amount:
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12 030,00 USD
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Project Status:
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Satisfactorily Completed
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Project Types:
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Applied Research and Policy Analysis
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Project Details & Results
The project aims at identification of medicinal plants and their ethnobotanical use and promoting wise use of medicinal plants and their propagation on farmlands.
The project is designed to develop a programme, that will involve the local community in the conservation of biodiversity, e.g. local HMAPs, by preparing a project, that offers sustainable resource mobilization for income generating purposes and self-utilization of HMAPs.
It will mainly include the Identification of indigenous Herbs, Medical & Aromatic Plants availability & capacity for sustainable wild growth & on-farm reproduction, local knowledge about them and their utility for human consumption/application, processing and marketing, and initial analysis for beneficial and potentially harmful substances.
The flora of the area has been already identified by earlier studies and IUCN is presently active in a biodiversity project for the Northern Areas. The project’s effort will be, to compile the published information, collect local indigenous knowledge about HMAPs, particularly local utilization, collect expert & local knowledge about a sustainable level for the harvesting of wild & on-farm production of HMAPs and get lab. analysis information about potentially beneficial & harmful ingredients of these HMAPs.
Notable Community Participation
The NGO using its health facilities in Baltistan plans to record the use of medicinal plants in Northern Areas and later on plan to train their medical staff to propoagate the use of medicinal plants in these remote areas of Pakistan where medicines are not readily available.
Capacity - Building Component
NGO will document the diminishing knowledge about the use of medicinal plants and will use this information to train their own staff on the use of variuos medicinal plants for treating the patients.
Project Results
Surveys conducted in various valleys of Baltistan and high altitude Deosai plateau by the Foundation have helped in collection of 131 plant species. A study by the foundation has revealed that 20 of the over 200 medicinal plants and herbs are still being commonly used mostly by the elder people.
Engagement of medical professionals in perscribing and using local herbs could not take place due to lack of interest by the doctors.
Database of medicinal plants developed by the project in collaboration with Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) and is hosted on the PARC website.
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