Project Detail

Conservation of Biodiversity through awareness building, documentation and preservation of medicinal plants in Wayanad District.

The purpose of the project was to collect, conserve, preserve and propagate medicinal plants available in the proposed area of Wayanad district. It was also intended to form a gene park for demonstration cum conservation, preparation of herbarium of various species of medicinal plants, setting up of a herbal plants mother nursery and supply of medicinal plants to the village women groups and training and awareness of the village groups in preparation of herbal medicines.

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Project Snapshot

Grantee:

Wayanad Social Service Society

Country:

India

Area Of Work:

Biodiversity

Operational Phase:

Phase 1

Grant Amount:

US$ 9,197.00

Co-Financing Cash:

US$ 2,463.00

Co-Financing in-Kind:

US$ 1,650.00

Project Number:

SGP/GEF/IND/OP1/99/KER01

Start Date:

11/1999

End Date:

10/2001

Status:

Satisfactorily Completed

Project Characteristics and Results

Promoting Public Awareness of Global Environment

Greater awareness has emerged within the communities in the use and conservation of Herbs and Medicinal plants. Herbal and traditional health-care practices, which are the mainstay of the local people, have been widely accepted by outsiders.

Project sustainability

Home gardens were established by hundreds of rural families within the village, with varying degrees of success, remains an expression of commitment of the people to conserve nature and preserve medicinal plants.

Notable Community Participation

In remote, hilly degraded un-reached poor areas, a Demonstration Garden was developed and ex-situ Conservation Park was established with a collection of about 400 herbs. This was first time people?s needs were addressed in the form of a community garden.

Emphasis on Sustainable Livelihoods

More than 1000 resource poor families in 10 villages were benefited by adopting an alternate health care system through herbal medicines at low cost. The project also opened more opportunities for developing links with government institutions. This was well established, and the locals considered as a boon to meet their local needs.

Gender Focus

The involvement of women in gardens created the local women?s ownership within the project, the process in turn led to women taking independent decisions and responsibilities.

Replication of project activities

The project was up-scaled through a second SGP grant to cover a larger geographcal area. The second project incorporated the lessons learnt from the first one and gave much emphasis on building community capacities, especially women, in local health practices, documentation and classification of medicinal plants and enterprise development.

Project Results

An Ex-situ Conservation Park was established with a collection of about 400 herbs. This is the only one of its kind in the entire area of Wayanad, which forms part of Nilgiri Biosphere. Greater awareness has emerged within the communities in the use and conservation of Herbs and Medicinal plants. Herbal and traditional health-care practices have been widely accepted by outsiders. Home gardens were established by hundreds of rural families within the village, with varying degrees of success. More than 1000 resource poor families in 10 villages have been benefited in adopting an alternate health care system through herbal medicines at low cost. The project also opened more opportunities for developing links with government institutions

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Indicators

Biophysical

Number of globally significant species protected by project 350

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