Table 2 Major outcomes of RCMPCC's community-based programs
From: Local knowledge in community-based approaches to medicinal plant conservation: lessons from India
Major Outcome | Levels of influence | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Policy implication | Village/Sub-district | District (MPCA) | State (RCMPCC) | National | Global |
Documentation of traditional knowledge of medicinal plants from vaidus- both men and women Systematic documentation created opportunities for collaborative research with TSM | Role of women vaidus recognized Involvement of vaidus/VB in village development/conservation activities | Two local language booklets on ethno botanical information about plants and vaidus | Systematic data base on 326 medicinal plants, 465 herbal formulations, Illness-specific database on 265 plants, herbarium record of 804 species | Raw drugs formulations of 75 plants available for further scrutiny | VB, Vaidus training institutionalized in GEF programs in nine states |
Local assessment of Rare, Endangered and Threatened (RET) species Potential of Local medicinal knowledge alongside TSM as inputs in official planning | Local monitoring by panchayats (village councils), LMCs, SHGs. RET List maintained at two MPCA by local communities with the support of VBs/vaidus | Training of 36 selected VB and district forest officers on RET monitoring Incorporating list in district working plans of Forest Department | Prioritized species identified and raised in seven forest nurseries of the state Helped FD in species recovery and enrichment programs | Unique species highlighted | Unique specie of Global importance identified at Leghapani MPCA |
Recognition and use of vaidus Official recognition of Local knowledge experts (restricted up to sub-state level) | Vaidus Involved in selection of appropriate seedlings in forest nurseries Vaidus and VB got 'official' recognition to practice their knowledge | Employing vaidus as field guides/eco-tourism Honouring VB/vaidus in two workshops | State level database of vaidus and village botanists according to their area of expertise (RCMPCC) CAMP exercises | Display and dialogue with other national level vaidus through two national herbal expos | Local vaidus guided ITTO (Japan) research scientists as research anchors in vegetation mapping |
Opportunities for collaborative research Collaborative Research mainly initiated at national/below level and often self-inspired/funded | A herbarium preparation techniques learned by VB and vaidus through botanists Validation of vaidus/VB's local knowledge through sharing/exchange with botanists | Selected VB/vaidus as trainers for other MPCA selected Study in sacred groves by RCMPCC | Market study of 22 medicinal plants Biodiversity assessment of select MPCAs RCMPCC as a resources institution in State medicinal Plant Board | Pilot project on standardization/cultivation processing of prioritized species in six MPCAs supported by Department of Science and Technology | Â |
Transmission of folk knowledge facilitated Systematic efforts for understanding transmission are lacking at State/National/Global levels | People Biodiversity register at one village Herbarium sheets demonstration in three schools | 11 demo gardens, 10 interpretation center highlighting contributions of VB/vaidus,40 home herbal gardens | Â | Ministry of tribal affairs supported study on people's biodiversity register | Â |