Medicinal Plant Conservation Project Targets 16 Tribal Hotspots Across 13 States and UTs

The news

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs, in collaboration with the CSIR–National Botanical Research Institute (CSIR-NBRI), Lucknow, launched a three-year project on 12 November 2026 at the Central University of Odisha, Koraput, to conserve medicinal plants and create sustainable livelihoods for tribal communities. The initiative, titled “Integrated Conservation, Agro-Technology and Bioresource Enterprise Development for Sustainable Tribal Livelihoods in Tribal Hotspots of India”, covers 16 tribal hotspots across 13 States and Union Territories.

The project plans to document approximately 200–300 medicinal plant species, propagate 30–40 rare, endangered and threatened (RET) species, and establish 16 community nurseries and 16 seed banks. It also envisages distribution of 40,000–50,000 quality planting materials. As part of initial fieldwork in Sonbhadra district, Uttar Pradesh, in October 2026, the CSIR-NBRI team interacted with 146 tribal knowledge holders across 12 villages, collected 97 field numbers representing about 200 medicinal and economically important plant samples, and gathered 25 live orchid samples for germplasm conservation.

The programme seeks to link scientific institutions, Krishi Vigyan Kendras, Van Dhan Vikas Kendras, and state tribal welfare and forest departments with local communities. Special emphasis, officials said, will be on involving tribal farmers, traditional healers, women and rural youth in conservation, capacity building, cultivation and value-chain development. A technical session titled “From Tribal Knowledge to Enterprise” was held as part of the launch, and a field visit to the Koraput hotspot was scheduled for 13 November 2026.

What is the Biological Diversity Act, 2002?

The Biological Diversity Act, 2002, enacted to give effect to the Convention on Biological Diversity, 1992, governs conservation of biological resources, their sustainable use, and fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from their utilisation. The Act established the National Biodiversity Authority at the national level, State Biodiversity Boards, and Biodiversity Management Committees at the local body level. It requires prior approval from the National Biodiversity Authority for any person not being a citizen of India or a body corporate not incorporated in India to obtain any biological resource occurring in India or knowledge associated thereto for research or commercial utilisation. The Act also mandates that benefits arising from the use of biological resources and associated traditional knowledge be shared in a fair and equitable manner with the persons who have conserved such resources and knowledge, a principle that underpins projects linking tribal communities with medicinal plant enterprises.

Which hotspots and states are covered?

The 16 hotspots are located in Alluri Seetharama Raju (Andhra Pradesh), Kokrajhar (Assam), Narayanpur (Chhattisgarh), Navsari (Gujarat), East Singhbhum (Jharkhand), Kodagu (Karnataka), Wayanad (Kerala), Kargil (Ladakh), Anuppur (Madhya Pradesh), Gadchiroli and Nashik (Maharashtra), Kandhamal, Balangir and Koraput (Odisha), Sonbhadra (Uttar Pradesh), and Dharchula (Uttarakhand).

What are the planned interventions and institutional linkages?

The project includes documentation of 200–300 medicinal plant species, scientific propagation of 30–40 rare, endangered and threatened species, and establishment of 16 community nurseries and 16 seed banks. Distribution of 40,000–50,000 quality planting materials is planned. The initiative aims to create linkages among scientific institutions, Krishi Vigyan Kendras, Van Dhan Vikas Kendras, state tribal welfare and forest departments, and local communities, with special focus on tribal farmers, traditional healers, women and rural youth.