World Wildlife Day 2026 and Medicinal Plant Conservation

1. World Wildlife Day is observed on 3 March, marking adoption of CITES, while the 2026 theme focuses on medicinal and aromatic plants, health heritage, and livelihoods.

2. India is among the world’s 17 mega biodiversity rich countries and holds nearly 7 percent of global biodiversity, giving special significance to medicinal plant conservation.

3. India has 15 agro climatic regions and about 45,000 plant species, of which nearly 15,000 are medicinal plants and around 8,000 are used in medicine.

4. Nearly 70 percent of India’s medicinal and aromatic plants occur in the tropical forests of the Western Ghats, Eastern Ghats, Himalayas, and Aravalli range.

5. Botanical Survey of India has identified over 5,250 plant species and documented more than 9,567 folk medicinal claims for treating different ailments across communities.

6. The demand supply assessment estimated annual domestic demand for medicinal plants at about 5,12,000 metric tonnes in 2014 to 15, reflecting major market scale.

7. The same study documented 1,178 medicinal plant species in trade, of which 242 species were traded in high volumes exceeding 100 metric tonnes annually.

8. India supports in situ conservation through Medicinal Plants Conservation Area initiatives, with 115 MPCA sites currently representing models of indigenous health traditions and biodiversity protection.

9. Ex situ conservation includes preservation of 9,361 medicinal and aromatic plant accessions at the National Seed Gene Bank under NBPGR, New Delhi facilities.

10. The Central Sector Scheme on Conservation, Development and Sustainable Management of Medicinal Plants has an outlay of ₹322.41 crore for 2021 to 22 through 2025 to 26.

11. Under this scheme, MPCDAs are developed for natural habitat protection, while plantations on degraded and rural lands are promoted for conservation and resource augmentation.

12. e CHARAK mobile application and web portal were launched by NMPB to improve medicinal plant trade, information exchange, and market access for farmers nationwide.

13. e CHARAK regularly updates fortnightly market prices of 100 medicinal plants collected from 25 herbal markets across India, improving price visibility for stakeholders.

14. NMPB’s Integrated Component supports quality planting material, IEC activities, post harvest infrastructure, marketing systems, and quality testing certification across medicinal plant supply chains.

15. Nagauri Ashwagandha received GI tag registration under an NMPB supported project through GI Application No. 1143 on 24 November 2025 in India.

Must know Terms :

1. MPCA

MPCA means Medicinal Plants Conservation Area. It is an in situ conservation model for protecting medicinal plant species in natural habitats. India currently has 115 MPCA sites. These sites conserve wild medicinal species while linking biological diversity, cultural diversity, and indigenous health traditions. They function as field based conservation models within broader habitat protection systems such as parks, reserves, and sanctuaries.

2.MPCDA

MPCDA means Medicinal Plants Conservation and Development Area. These are supported under the Central Sector Scheme on Conservation, Development and Sustainable Management of Medicinal Plants. The scheme has an outlay of ₹322.41 crore for 2021-22 to 2025-26. MPCDAs protect plants in natural habitats, while parallel support is provided for plantations on degraded lands and rural landscapes for resource augmentation.

3.GACP

GACP stands for Good Agricultural and Collection Practices. It is a quality assurance component promoted under the National Medicinal Plants Board framework. It focuses on scientific cultivation, proper collection, handling, and quality maintenance of medicinal plant raw material. In the same scheme structure, research support and Raw Drug Repositories are also promoted, strengthening standardisation, traceability, and reliability in the medicinal plant sector.

4.AVMP

AVMP stands for Aushadhi Vanaspati Mitra Program. It is run by the National Medicinal Plants Board under the Ministry of Ayush. The programme recognises and rewards individuals, communities, and institutions for significant contribution to medicinal plant conservation, cultivation, and marketing. Its practical purpose is to encourage wider participation in the sector and promote public involvement in protecting and sustaining medicinal plant resources.

5.eCHARAK

eCHARAK is the digital platform launched by the National Medicinal Plants Board for medicinal plant trade and stakeholder information exchange. It is available as both a mobile application and web portal. The platform supports farmers and other stakeholders through multilingual access. It regularly updates fortnightly market prices of 100 medicinal plants collected from 25 herbal markets across India, improving transparency and market access.

6.Navara

Navara is a GI tagged rice variety grown mainly in Palakkad and nearby districts of Kerala. In Ayurveda it is called Shashtikashali. It is used in the Panchakarma therapy known as Navarakizhi. The text associates it with treatment of rheumatic pain, blood circulation problems, respiratory diseases, and support in polio related disabilities, making it both a medicinal and heritage linked plant resource.

      Key Takeaways

A. World Wildlife Day is observed on 3 March to mark the adoption of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora). The theme for 2026 is “Medicinal and Aromatic Plants: Conserving Health, Heritage and Livelihoods” highlighting the importance of plant resources for health and livelihoods.

B. India is one of 17 mega biodiversity-rich countries with around 15,000 medicinal plant species, of which 8,000 are used in Indian medicine, making it one of the world’s most important hubs for medicinal and aromatic plants.

C. India actively supports in-situ conservation through MPCDAs, ex-situ cultivation and resource augmentation under Central Sector Scheme on Conservation, Development and Sustainable Management of Medicinal Plants of NMPB Ministry of Ayush.

D. As per the study “Medicinal Plants in India: An Assessment of their Demand and Supply”(Ved & Goraya, 2017), the annual domestic demand for medicinal plants was estimated at approximately 5,12,000 metric tonnes (2014–15). The study documented 1,178 medicinal plant species in trade, of which 242 species are traded in high volumes (above 100 MT per annum), indicating the scale and economic significance of the sector.

 

MCQ

1. World Wildlife Day is observed every year on:
A) 5 June
B) 22 April
C) 3 March
D) 16 September

2. World Wildlife Day marks the adoption of:
A) Convention on Biological Diversity
B) CITES
C) Ramsar Convention
D) Bonn Convention

3. The 2026 theme of World Wildlife Day focuses on:
A) Wetland restoration and global adaptation
B) Forest governance and climate finance
C) Medicinal and aromatic plants, conserving health, heritage and livelihoods
D) Pollinators and food chain security

4. India is counted among the world’s:
A) 10 mega biodiversity-rich countries
B) 12 mega biodiversity-rich countries
C) 17 mega biodiversity-rich countries
D) 20 mega biodiversity-rich countries

5. India holds nearly what share of global biodiversity?
A) 5 percent
B) 7 percent
C) 9 percent
D) 11 percent

6. India has about how many medicinal plant species?
A) 5,000
B) 10,000
C) 12,000
D) 15,000

7. Of India’s medicinal plants, nearly how many are used in medicine?
A) 6,000
B) 7,000
C) 8,000
D) 9,000

8. Nearly 70 percent of India’s medicinal and aromatic plants are found in:
A) Indo-Gangetic plains only
B) Coastal deltas only
C) Desert and semi-arid tracts only
D) Western Ghats, Eastern Ghats, Himalayas, and Aravalli range

9. The Botanical Survey of India has identified over:
A) 3,250 plant species
B) 4,250 plant species
C) 5,250 plant species
D) 6,250 plant species

10. The annual domestic demand for medicinal plants in 2014–15 was estimated at approximately:
A) 3,12,000 metric tonnes
B) 4,12,000 metric tonnes
C) 5,12,000 metric tonnes
D) 6,12,000 metric tonnes

11. The study on demand and supply documented how many medicinal plant species in trade?
A) 978
B) 1,178
C) 1,278
D) 1,378

12. Of the species in trade, how many were traded in high volumes above 100 metric tonnes annually?
A) 142
B) 192
C) 242
D) 292

13. India currently has how many MPCA sites?
A) 95
B) 105
C) 115
D) 125

14. Ex situ conservation includes preservation of how many MAP accessions at the National Seed Gene Bank?
A) 7,361
B) 8,361
C) 9,361
D) 10,361

15. The outlay of the Central Sector Scheme on Conservation, Development and Sustainable Management of Medicinal Plants for 2021–22 to 2025–26 is:
A) ₹222.41 crore
B) ₹272.41 crore
C) ₹322.41 crore
D) ₹372.41 crore