Kalyani Singh

Traditional medicine, which includes ethnobotanical research, has been initiated in many countries due to the valuable contribution of medicinal plants to healthcare. India, being one of the twelve mega biodiversity countries in the world, has a rich variety of vegetation with numerous plants possessing medicinal properties. Herbal medicines have proven to be effective in treating various diseases, including infectious diseases and hypertension, and have the potential to save lives, particularly in developing countries. Local and indigenous communities in Asian countries continue to rely on traditional knowledge to meet their basic needs, manufacturing and selling products based on plant resources. Herbal drugs obtained from plants are believed to be safer and have been proven effective in treating various ailments. Rural communities, especially scheduled caste tribes, depend on plant resources for food, medicine, fodder, and fuel, and have developed methods of resource management that are fundamental to the conservation of important habitats. The aim of this book is to popularize the ethno medicinal plants species used by the tribals in Kalahandi district, Orissa, and to preserve the traditional medical practices of the local tribes. This will help protect the traditional knowledge of indigenous peoples from disappearing and contribute to the sustainable use of biological resources.