At A Glance

The Response

The project will work to mitigate the degradation of key habitats and medicinal plant populations, as well as to secure the livelihoods of local medicinal plant collectors in key landscapes of the Upper Yangtze River ecoregion. The overall outcome of the project will be to develop and implement a replicable strategic model for sustainable utilization and management of TCM plants.

Project Focus

Ø  To analyze and strengthen the policy and regulatory framework for medicinal plants；
Ø  To promote sustainable TCM use and conservation by establishing effective local TCM management and monitoring mechanisms in the pilot sites；
Ø  To raise awareness of the benefits of sustainable use of wild medicinal plants among key stakeholders；
Ø  To test incentive based mechanisms for sustainable production and conservation of wild populations of medicinal plants；

Cooperating Agency

WWF Beijing Office

Partners

1. TRAFFIC
2. IUCN-World Conservation Union
3. Sichuan Provincial Forestry Department
4. Gansu Provincial Forestry Department
5. Shanxi Provincial Forestry Department
6. Sichuan Administrative Bureau of Traditional Chinese Medicine
7. The Ecology Committee for Natural Resources of Chinese Meteria Medica

The Challenge

The mountain landscapes in the upper Yangtze River basin are recognized for their biodiversity values and is identified as high priority areas for biodiversity conservation in China. An estimated 75% of commercially harvested Traditional Chinese Medicinal (TCM) plant species are found in this region, but unsustainable TCM collection is common and undermines the integrity of the montane ecosystems. Collection of wild medicinal plants provides a significant source of income for many Chinese households as well as being important for people’s primary health care. Thus there is an urgent need to promote sustainable management and conservation of medicinal plants while at the same time working to secure the livelihoods of local people.