A REVIEW ON THE USE OF INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE FOR MEDICINAL PLANTS CONSERVATION

Abstract

Medicinal plants are valued natural resources to maintain affordable and culture-specific health care. The reliance on these resources for optimal health care aligns with the World Health Organization's (WHO) recommendation to use traditional herbal medicine to meet primary health care needs. Nevertheless, this could potentially have adverse effects on the status and availability of the herbs in their natural habitats. This review outlines the utilisation of indigenous knowledge and methods to preserve indigenous medicinal plants for future accessibility and utilisation. The data presented in the review is obtained from national and international literature on indigenous use and management of natural resources. The review's findings indicate that the sustainable use of medicinal plants is influenced by taboos, seasonal and societal limitations on harvesting, and adherence to regulations on the collection of medicinal plants. Implementing indigenous conservation techniques could effectively help counteract the extinction of medicinal plant species caused by the adverse effects of climatic extremes on biodiversity.