Development of a methodology on medicinal plant conservation to strengthen amchi medicine in Ladakh, India

Project report for the period September 2005 - February 2006

Summary

A range of activities have been undertaken during this reporting period, including:

• conducting awareness campaigns on medicinal plant conservation in three villages;
• collection of information at village level on medicinal plants;
  development of the first village-level medicinal plants management committee;
• development of the first village-level medicinal plants management committee;
• a successful seminar on the development of strategic policy on medicinal plants conservation, involving many stakeholders in Ladakh; and
• preparation for production of a special issue of the newsletter THAME, dealing with medicinal plant identification and conservation.

Plans for the forthcoming period, to September 2006, include:

• further visits and data collection at village level;
• further establishment and training of village medicinal plants management committees;
• technical training for members of the Ladakh Society for Traditional Medicines (LTSM); and
• publication of the special issue of THAME.

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Detailed report

Activities

1. Awareness campaign on medicinal plant issues

Plantlife commenced support for the work of Nomad RSI and the Ladakh Society for Traditional Medicines (LSTM) in September 2005. Since then, a project team from LSTM has visited three villages in two remote areas of the Zanskar and Nubra valleys to raise awareness about medicinal plant conservation. This brings to a total of seven villages in which LSTM has carried out such awareness-raising work (before Plantlife’s support – in spring and summer 2005 – the LSTM team had visited four other villages – Hemis, Domkhar, Kullum and Sapi). The LSTM team provided information to villagers on:

• the history, importance and present status of the Tibetan medical system in Ladakh;
• the importance of medicinal plant conservation for the Tibetan medical system and for meeting local health needs;
• the growing commercial pressures on Himalayan medicinal plants; and
• the practical possibilities for local involvement in conservation (both of wild medicinal plants and through cultivation), including the establishment of medicinal plants management committees.

In addition to speeches and discussions, a video on medicinal plant conservation, produced by the Field Research Laboratory of Leh, was screened. These meetings were attended by most people in the villages (women, men and children). They included village leaders, amchis, government teachers and local medical staff.

2. Collection of information on medicinal plants

During the visits to the villages, interviews and various types of participatory research exercises (mapping, listing, ranking) were conducted with the amchis and other knowledgeable people. This enabled the collection of detailed, site-specific information on medicinal plant distribution, abundance, current collection, management and cultivation. In Keyma village (Nubra valley), a grand total of 80 species of plants were identified, of which 50 were said to have medicinal use. All data were recorded in an electronic database.

3. Establishment of the first medicinal plants management committee

A field visit to Sapi village in August 2005 (just before the start of Plantlife’s support) resulted in a great deal of interest and much discussion on medicinal plant issues amongst the local community. As a consequence, the villagers decided to set up their own medicinal plants management committee. The Sapi area is well known throughout Ladakh for its wealth of medicinal plants. The aim of the committee is to improve the harvesting of medicinal plants so that it is undertaken in a sustainable way. The committee has been formed with equal representation from the two religious communities represented (Muslim and Buddhist) and with gender equity (two women are members). The committee is in the process of developing its mandate with the support of the project team.

4. Seminar: “A participatory workshop on strategic policy development for medicinal plants conservation”

Between 31st October and 2nd November, LSTM welcomed more than 80 amchis from the Leh, Zanskar and Kargil Districts of Ladakh to a workshop focused on medicinal plant issues. The key objectives were:

• to bring together all existing project partners;
• to form new partnerships; and
• to establish strategic priorities and practical activities for the better management of medicinal plants.

All participants in the seminar emphasized that, from their field experiences, a strategic approach to the development of medicinal plants conservation is urgently required. Problems have developed because there are no effective traditional restrictions preventing over-harvesting and because there has been an explosion in the demand for the plants beyond that associated with Tibetan medicine. As a result, the plants are being depleted and there is a real threat of extinction for some species.

Expert amchis at the seminar emphasised the importance of correct identification of the plants and of acquisition of knowledge about sustainable harvesting practices. They advocated that all amchis should have the same standard knowledge, both theoretically and in terms of practice, and should know the properties and potency of each medicinal plant. Amchi Thinle Yangjor, reminded participants of the sustainable harvesting techniques (seven practices of collection of medicinal plants) according to the rGyud bzhi, the fundamental text of Tibetan medicine.

Open-house discussions allowed all the participants to exchange experiences and views and to ask questions of expert amchis. Some of the questions concerned problems of plant identification, specific examples of medicinal plants depletion and how far species substitution is possible.

5. Call for papers (January 2005)

In January 2006, the project team released a call for papers for a special issue of the Trans Himalayan Amchi Education (THAME) newsletter, covering issues of medicinal plant identification and conservation. The call has been made to experts on Tibetan medicine and medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs), whether residing in Ladakh or elsewhere in the Himalayas. A scientific committee for this issue is in the process of being constituted, but will include project team members, expert amchis from Ladakh, amchi Sabha, and representatives from the health department, Central Institute of Buddhist Studies and experts from the Forest Department (especially the Forest Range Officer).

The aim of the issue is to bring to a wide audience the importance of medicinal plant conservation to local livelihoods, raise questions about specific identification problems and outline the range of possible actions that could be taken to reduce depletion of MAPs.

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Outcomes, constraints and sucesses

Constraints

Considering the climatic conditions during winter in the Himalayas and their consequences in terms of mobility, the project team was unable to go as often as was hoped to the villages to conduct the awareness campaign or to collect information. This was why the project team was only able to visit three villages during the period September to February.

Awareness campaigns are much easier to organise and conduct during spring and summer, and six are planned for the next reporting period.

A training session for LSTM staff with Dr Laurent Pordié, Nomad RSI President, was planned for Autumn 2005. Unfortunately, because of his work schedule, Dr Pordié was unable to conduct the training, which has been postponed until Spring 2006.

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Outcomes and successes

Organised in its entirety by the LSTM project team, the seminar at the end of October was useful for improving the skills of its members in project implementation and local capacity building.

The success of the seminar has demonstrated the ability of LSTM to bring together key actors inside Ladakh and to form strategic partnerships. It has enhanced the legitimacy and recognition of LSTM as a key organization, not only in Tibetan medicine but also on medicinal and aromatics plants issues.

The seminar enabled the exchange of knowledge and experiences from all major stakeholders and reveals that the all the amchis are aware of the depletion of medicinal plants in their areas. The following future project priorities were established:

• to pursue awareness campaigns amongst villagers and rural amchis;
• to try to constitute medicinal plants management committees in areas known for their MAPs wealth; and
• to facilitate plant identification for amchis, using a variety of media (THAME, posters and leaflets).

Many other suggestions for local policies to conserve MAPs were made during the seminar with great enthusiasm from all the participants. These suggestions have yet to be translated into an effective action plan. Concerted efforts by all concerned will now be needed to move from discourse to practical application.

The positive responses and willing involvement of villagers and amchis in the project villages emphasizes the importance of MAPs issues at the local level. The visits to the village have contributed to raising awareness among the villagers and have encouraged them to organize themselves to conserve their natural patrimony.

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Work programme (1st March - 30th September)

1. Village visits and data collection

From March to September, the LSTM project team is planning to six visits to villages to conduct awareness campaigns on medicinal plants issues and to continue to collect crucial data on MAPs by interviewing amchis and villagers. The summer period, especially when the plants are in bloom, allows the constitution of herbariums and the photographing of plants, which are crucial tools for identification and prioritisation of species (identification of species that are currently under collecting pressure.)

2. Establishment and training of medicinal plants committees

Village visits and awareness campaign are crucial times to encourage the establishment of community-based medicinal plants management committees. The establishment of the first committee in Sapi village is a real success on the part of the project.

Participants at the seminar in October also emphasized the importance of community involvement and organisation for the protection of medicinal plants, including to control harvesting. The project team will continue to encourage the establishment of medicinal plants management committees.

Training sessions for committee members will be conducted during the summer, especially in ‘hot spots’, where there is a high diversity of MAPs and extensive harvesting. Training will focus on concepts and methods of conservation, the technical aspects of medicinal plant protection (including sustainable harvesting methods), in situ protection, enrichment planting and the prevention of encroachment by external harvesters.

3. Update of the working baseline survey

Each village visit provides additional information on medicinal plants that is included in the database. The project team records data on: botanical name, Tibetan name, local names, habitats, trade values, distribution, cultivation potential, medicinal uses, and trends in perceived abundance/scarcity. Photographs and herbarium specimens are taken for use in developing a range of educational materials (see 4).

4. Technical training for LTSM

Training on MAPs is vital for improving the technical skills of the LTSM. A training session is planned for Spring 2006. To this end, contacts have been made with the Foundation for Revitalisation of Local Health Traditions (FRLHT) and with the Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development.

Details including the venue have yet to be finalised, but training will focus on techniques for the management medicinal plants, methods of prioritising medicinal plants for attention, and methods of cultivation.

4. Production of posters (June 2006)

The project team is already working on the selection of pictures for posters. The data recorded in the database allowed the development of species prioritisation criteria, which facilitate the selection of specific plants for the production of awareness posters. These will aid villagers and rural amchis in the identification of plants and in raising awareness for the conservation and management of particularly important or rare species.

5. Publication of THAME (July 2006)

In addition to articles concerning issues of MAP conservation and development, crucial information recorded in the database will be publicised in a special issue of the Trans Himalayan Amchi Medical Education (THAME) newsletter. This newsletter, printed in classical Tibetan and distributed across the Himalayas, will provide valuable information for the use of amchis, local people, resource users and managers.

6. Training for the local management committee

From September to December 2006, the Programme Director of Nomad RSI will be in Ladakh, working with the project team to provide advice and technical support, improve the capacities of LSTM team in project monitoring, and develop plans for the next phases of the programme.

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