Introduction
Among many South Asian countries including Nepal, Ayurveda, a Hindu life science, remains the key source of medical knowledge and expertise (IUCN, 2004). Nepali Vaidhyas are thought to have had access to Ayurvedic knowledge as early as 879 A.D (IUCN, 2000). Medicinal plants are those plants having botanical components which have been proved or are known to be beneficial for one’s well-being (The World Bank, 2018). Botanicals or herbal medicines are synonyms for medicinal plants. Plants that contain or exude volatile compounds like essential oils are known as aromatic plants (The World Bank, 2018). Medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs), a subcomponent of Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs), are one of the major forestry resources which supply the rural population with cash income (Ruiz Pérez and Byron, 1999; Shackleton and Shackleton, 2004). MAPs have always been the most promising source of survival and economic opportunity for the rural people (Olsen and Larsen 2003). MAPs are extremely promising raw materials in the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and cosmeceutical industries (Marriott, 2000; Pieroni et al., 2004; Barnes and Prasain, 2005). Nepalese have useful experience and a convincing tale to talk about indigenous expertise, and long-practiced traditional uses of herbal medicine in the Himalayas (The World Bank, 2018). The majority of Nepalese people practice traditional medicine, which includes Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), Unani, and various types of indigenous medicine such as Tibetan Amchi (Shengji, 2001).
The country is ranked in the 25th position of global biodiversity richness and 11th among Asian countries (MoFE, 2018b). Nepal’s unique topography and varying climates have resulted in floral species count of 11,971, accounting for 3.2% of the world’s total flora (MoFSC, 2014). It has been estimated that there are more than 7000 and about 4000 species of flowering and non-flowering plants in Nepal (MoFSC, 2014). According to the Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Database of Nepal (MAPDON), there are approximately 1,624 medicinal plant species in Nepal, with approximately 100 plants traded annually (SAWTEE, 2015). However, the Department of Plant Resources (DPR) reported an increase in medicinal plant species from 700 to 819 in Nepal (DPR, 2019). Till now, 238 MAPs species have been chemically tested for their medicinal properties (GoN, 2004). Nepal has 285 endemic plant species from 43 families, which has global biological significance (Rajbhandari and Dhungana, 2011). In Nepal, MAPs are more abundant in hilly and mountainous terrain, and their distribution is found in forests and grasslands above 2,000 m. (EPI, 2017). According to the most recent Forest Resource Assessment (2014), there are 329 and 666 NTFPs which are used for various purposes in the Terai and Siwalik regions, respectively (FAO, 2014). Mid-Western and Far-Western development regions of Nepal account for more than 85% of total herb collection in Nepal (GIZ, 2011). Far-west Nepal alone accounts for roughly 1/3rd of Nepal’s total trade volume (Kunwar et al. 2015). About 143-161 NTFP species, including MAPs, are collected for commercial purposes (Bhattarai and Ghimire 2006; Subedi, 2006). In Nepal, however, 60 MAPs species are classified as endangered (Shrestha and Joshi, 1996; Bhattarai et al. 2002). Furthermore, approximately 50-60% of NWFPs harvests go unrecorded, as they are either consumed in households or sold in local markets without following any government procedures (FAO, 2014). Around 100 Nepalese NWFPs are traded, but only 20 species account for 80% of the total trade in terms of volume and value (FAO, 2014). NTFPs total contribution to national GDP was projected to be 5% (CECI, 2006). As buyers are becoming more interested in organic and natural goods, the market for MAPs continues to rise around the world (INCLUDE, 2014).
MAPs are among 19 sectors listed by the Nepal Trade Integration Strategy (NTIS) as having a high potential for trade promotion (NTIS, 2010). Since NTFPs have a shorter life span than timber (Lawrence, 2003), they are a result of comparative advantage from the forest because of their low volume high value compared to timber’s high volume low value (Paudel & Acharya, 2018). Nepal’s Non-timber forest product (NTFP) sector has been the subject of much debate and little action. One of the priority forestry programs in the Master Plan for Forestry Sector (1989-2010) was Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (MAPs) Whereas making it a priority initiative, the sector has not thrived as well as it should (FAO, 2014). Although MAPs are one of Nepal’s government prioritized sectors in the Tenth Plan, it has not received adequate attention for the upliftment of poor rural people through the cultivation of MAPs (Bhattarai &Ghimire, 2016). This paper aims to provide a brief overview of MAPs’ current ecological status, importance in human health and livelihood, and socioeconomic benefits to Nepalese.