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Use of Medicinal Plant and Its Vulnerability Due to Climate Change in Northern Part of Bangladesh

Sadhan Kumar Roy
Department of Geography and Environmental Science, Faculty of Life and Earth Sciences, Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur, Bangladesh

Dipak Kumar Roy
Department of Public Health, School of Health & Life Sciences, North South University, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

Medicinal plants are playing an important role to human livelihood. Bangladesh is well recognized of medicinal plants wealth as unique and globally rich. The studies demonstrate about the value of traditional systems of medicine as economically useful plants and possible effects of climate change on medicinal plants. It is true that climate change is causing noticeable effects on life cycles and distribution of the plant species. However, climate change effects on medicinal plants are widely unclear in Bangladesh. At present, a huge number of populations in Bangladesh are directly dependent on the healthcare treatment by medicinal plants that is why it is an emerging concern in Bangladesh. It is a crying need to improve our understanding the effects on medicinal plants by various researches is stressed in the present article. To know the present condition of medicinal plants and effects of climate change on medicinal plants in northern part of Bangladesh an attempt is being taken here. The study also added the optimum use of medicinal plants and their conservation in northern part of Bangladesh.

Keywords: Climate Change, Drought, Medicinal Plants, Conservation

Location: Kurigram district, Bangladesh

Start Date: 00-06-2014

End Date: 00-08-2015

Program Area: Development of Host and Medicinal Plants

Commodity: Medicinal Plants

Objectives:

In the northern part of Bangladesh, people use different types of medicinal plants to treat different disease. Climate change is one cause for losing medicinal and aromatic plants in the northern part of Bangladesh. The region is also being negatively affected by deforestation and water scarcity unwise exploitation of land and rapid population growth.

Methodology:

Use of Medicinal Plant and its Vulnerability Due to Climate Change in Northern Part of Bangladesh is assessed based on the field observation, plant sample collection, questionnaire survey and formal and informal dialogue among the respondents in the selected area. Study Area Kurigram district is situated in northern part of Bangladesh. Total area of this district is 2296.10 square kilometers and total land cover is about 276.45 square kilometers. It is surrounded by Coach Bihar, West Bengal and Assam of India in North and East part. Gaibandha, Rangpur and Lalmonirhat district of Bangladesh is situated in South and Western part. Absolute location of this district is 25⁰23'N to 26⁰14'N latitude and 89⁰28'E to 89?54'E longitude. It is 13 meter height from the mean sea level and here flows many small and big rivers. The climate of this district is tempered where there maximum temperature is 32.3⁰C and minimum 11.2⁰C (National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh, 2007). Her total annual rainfall is recorded is at about 2931 mm. due to this type of climate here found various kinds of medicinal plants. Data Collection Since deforestation, environmental pollution, modern civilization and migrations of traditional medicinal healer to other jobs knowledge connected to ethno medicinal treatment are being seriously depleted and that could ultimately result in the rapid erosion of this rich knowledge. Moreover the knowledge on traditional practice of medi-cinal plants has been passed from one generation to next only verbally and most of the cases the written documents of this rich knowledge have not been available. Sampling of Informants During June 2014 to August 2015 the ethno pharmacological survey was conducted in the study area. Five days were conducted for consisting per field visit. Different community’s interviewees were selected for the study purpose. The primary observation suggested that number distinct groups of people are involved and practiced medicinal plant to cure disease and traditional healing process in the study area as follows

1. People of study area who are traditionally use medicinal plants by their indigenous knowledge getting from their previous generation.

2. Local traditional health practitioners (Kobiraz literally in Bangla) who have practical and empirical knowledge on medicinal plant.

3. A group of people or health practitioners having no formal education such as Bede, Sapure/Ojha, and Dome etc. most of them are Hinduism.

Determination of Sample Size In order to appropriate result of the study potentially significant group was sampled according to a sampling plan to that type of population. In this study sample size refers the number of subjects. These were sampled according to 95% confidence intervals using a Population Proportionate to Size (PPS) stratified plan considering study subjects. This suggested a sample size of the present study. On the basis of PPS sample size was allocated in various categories and sample was redistribution to ensure the minimum sample size required for any group. For fulfilling this purpose total 55 people were chosen from the selected group were interviewed. Gender, age, educational background and experience on use of traditional medicinal plants were taken into consideration during the selection of informants. Here was also collected the ethnographic data using observation, formal and informal dialogue and third person listening techniques. The formal interviews were prearranged, but informal opportunities were taken, at times and place were the participant’s interest could be obtained and retained. Ethno-Medicinal Data Collection This study the explanation and written consent was obtained by interviewers from each informant. The people who are familiar with traditional healers and who could communicate with local communities are considered as participating respondent. To ensure confidentiality each informant was interviewed singly among them. To collect knowledge and practice of medicinal plants in the study area a number of FGDs were also organized participated by 13 to 20 respondents who had given consent. Open ended and semi structural questionnaire was used for the purpose. The record questionnaires used demographical information including age, sex, educational background and experiences of the healing related to medicinal plant and their practice including the local name of the plants, plants parts used, the methods of preparation, nature of plant materials, relative abundance at the area, habitat of the plant species, mode of applications and medicinal use of particular plants. Informants were asked to collect the plants they used for the treatment of various ailments. These specimens were pressed preserved and later identified. Some ethno medicinal data were collected from research articles, books and others were also studied. The compounds that were frequently found in the reported plant species were also documented.

Source of Information: American Journal of Plant Sciences Vol.07 No.13 (2016), Article ID:70602,12 pages 10.4236/ajps.2016.713166

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Achievement/Findings:

The potential loss of medicinal and aromatic plant species from effects of climate change is likely to have major ramifications on the livelihoods of large numbers of vulnerable populations across the world. Although climate change is more threats for medicinal and aromatic plants but the effects of climate change on medicinal plants has not been well studied. As this situation unfold climate change effects on medicinal plants may become a more pressing issue for the herbal community, users, producer and medicinal and aromatic plant species. An improved knowledge of climate change effects on medicinal plants responsible for such changes requires intensive and continuous field measurements at representative sites. Further research on this field and chemical production efficiency of threatened medicinal plants under climate change scenario is essential for developing conservation strategies of agro-technologies for cultivation.

Knowledge Management: Journal