National Ethno-Botanical seminar held at PMNH

Islamabad

Pakistan needs proper documentation of work being done on medicinal plants in the country and also establishes a national display centre to exhibit these plants for the marketing purposes.

The issue was highlighted by Federal Secretary Ministry of Climate Change Syed Abu Ahmed Akif while addressing the inaugural session of National Ethno-Botanical Seminar at Pakistan Museum of Natural History (PMNH) on Thursday. The seminar was jointly organised by Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF), IUCN, Mountain and Marketing (M&M) Project and UNDP.

PSF Chairman Prof. Dr. Muhammad Ashraf, Advisor to PM on Climate Change Rizwan Mehboob, Ministry of Climate Change Inspector General Forest Syed Mehmood Nasir, IUCN Country Representative Mehmood Akhtar Cheema and PMNH Director General Dr. M.K. Leghari were present at inaugural session of the seminar.

A large number of botanists, botany students and teachers, representatives of NGOs etc. were also attended the seminar. An attractive exhibition of medicinal plants and products was also established on this occasion.

The secretary said that a lot of work is being done at community level regarding ethnobotany, especially drying vegetables, fruits and sea buckthorn products, etc. in the country. He said this work should be highlighted through short documentaries for benefit of the people. He called upon the IUCN, UNDP and other stakeholders to join hands for documenting the traditional knowledge about various uses of plants.

PSF Chairman Prof. Dr. Muhammad Ashraf announced that a world class Botanical Garden will be established at PMNH. He deplored that Pakistan has only 6,000 listed species of plants whereas as large number of oceanic flora still needs to be explored and listed.

Dr. Ashraf said that in the absence of plants DNA Bar Coding, there is a potential risk of exploitation of medicinal and other valuable plants through illegal export. He stressed the need for DNA Bar Coding on urgent basis to preserve and protect the valuable medicinal plants and traditional knowledge.

IG Forest and National Director of M&M Project Syed Mehmood Nasir said 177 countries signed the Convention on Biological Diversity. He said that according to the convention all signatory governments are bound to respect the knowledge of local people and the pharmaceuticals using this knowledge are bound to share the profit with the local communities. He was of the view that due to side effects of allopathic medicines various medicine companies are again using herbal medicines.

IUCN Country Representative Mehmood Akhtar Cheema and PMNH Deputy Director General Dr. Muhammad Rafiq also spoke on this occasion. They said our life and comforts depend upon plants which greatly influence our culture and shape civilizations.