Project Detail

Conservation of Medicinal Tubers For Sustainable Tribal Livelihood

The project will build capacities of the local communities to inventorize and undertake documentation of local medicinal tubers. Exsitu conservation of the medicinal tubers will be done through active participation of the indigenous tribes. This is help in maintenance of food and nutritional security of tribes.

Identification and popularization of tribal health traditions along with standardization, validation and quality testing of Indigenous knowledge practices will be done. The tribes will diversify the basis of their livelihood through better conservation and sustainable use of Medicinal tubers.

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Project Snapshot

Grantee:

Centre for development and Communication Trust

Country:

India

Area Of Work:

Biodiversity

Operational Phase:

OP3 - Y2 (Mar 06 - Feb 07)

Grant Amount:

US$ 30,957.00

Co-Financing Cash:

US$ 3,750.00

Co-Financing in-Kind:

US$ 3,500.00

Project Number:

SGP/GEF/IND/OP3/02/07/TN 20

Start Date:

2/2007

End Date:

2/2009

Status:

Satisfactorily Completed

Photo Gallery

image showing the conserved tubers for the preperation of medicines

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Project Characteristics and Results

Promoting Public Awareness of Global Environment

1) The main purpose behind undertaking this project is to collect and the indigenous Technical knowledge related to medical plants. 2) To establish Medical plants park to serve as a Model Farm. 3) To create awareness among the people about the conservation of Medical plants. 4) To develop Technological packages for different Medical plants To augment commercial cultivation. 5)To augment production of seed materials of medical plants in the park of Distribution to Farmers. 6) To establish a medical plants based small processing industries. To train the farmers on commercial cultivation of Medical plants.

Policy Impact

The project intends to develop networks with Dynamic Network and JASul for carrying out various project activities such as inventory and documentation of Medicinal tubers through extensive survey, creation of community biodiversity registers, and documentation of tribal health traditions and ex-situ conservation of medicinal tubers. The project proposes to develop linkages with TamilNadu Agricultural University, Horticultural and Research Institute, Periyakulam, Agricultural College and Research Institute, Madurai, Gandhigram rural university, Gandhigram, N.S College, for obtaining technical support on the Taxonomical classification of Medicinal tubers, Standardization of procedure for mass multiplication of medicinal tubers and standardization of indigenous tribal medicine

Notable Community Participation

The project proposes to conduct an extensive survey on the conservation status and needs of individual medicinal tubers species and habitats with the help of the local tribes. The project intends to involve a number of village elders and opinion leaders for developing the Biodiversity registers.

Significant Participation of Indigenous Peoples

The project proposes to involve the local tribals through formation of about 50 SHGs in the cultivation of medicinal tubers on their agricultural land. The Tribal leaders would be made members of the project management committee. The project proposes the formation of Tuber Conservation and Sustainable Utilization Committees in the tribal settlements. The committee would consist of Tribal leaders, Tribal Healers, Tribal women, Tribal gatherers and children. These committees will asses the tuber needs of individual family and individual settlement

Capacity - Building Component

The project proposes to motivate and train SHGs to raise 2,00,000 saplings of Medicinal tubers for further planting as an Ex-situ conservation measure. The tribes would also be motivated to sell products such as medicinal tubers, herbs, and honey at the Tribal Herbal Bazaar. The project proposes in each Tribal village, a smaller Herbal raw material production, processing and storage facility for common utilization by the tribal community.

Gender Focus

The project will be implemented without any gender discrimination. This project is going to address major issue of livelihood security of Tribals, all the tribals (Men, women and children) will be effectively involved.

Emphasis on Sustainable Livelihoods

The tribes in the proposed project area depend on Medicinal Tubers for their Nutritional, Health and Food security. The conservation of Medicinal tubers would ensure their sustainable livelihoods and this will inspire them to participate actively in the project activities. The popularization of traditional tribal medicines and its effectiveness will provide a greater scope to expand the marketing of this produce. It is envisaged to use the money obtained through the marketing of medicinal tubers/products for the welfare of tribal communities. This will encourage the communities to sustain the activities.

Project Results

The tribes will diversify the basis of their livelihood through better conservation and sustainable use of Medicinal tubers and maintain their values and contribute to the dissemination of indigenous knowledge from present to future generations. The communities will have permanent access to sufficient food of good quality that is culturally and socially acceptable.

Identification of medicinal tubers utilized by tribes and its insitu and exsitu conservation will be done along with establishment of community based tubers Germplasm bank in 5 Tribal settlements. Biodiversity Registers in 50 Tribal settlements will be created with the help of the tribal communities.

There will be improvement in the standard of living of socially and culturally backward tribes through establishment of a ?Tribal Herbal Bazaar? for strengthening livelihood activities among Tribes. Tribal Herbal Clinic will be established for popularizing indigenous Tribal medicines and traditions

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