The state government of Kerala may soon start a major project on biodiversity conversation and database of the rare and endangered medicinal plants across the Western Ghats in the state.

Initiated by the Kerala Forest department, the plans are to create a comprehensive biodiversity registrar, implemented with the help of tribal settlements, Vana Samrakshana Samithis (Forest Protection Groups) and other stakeholders working in the area of biodiversity conservation. One of the major objectives of the project will be to identify and create 'gene pool conservation sites' across the Western Ghats and mobilising database on traditional knowledge systems, especially tribal medicine.

According to various sources, the project could be an extension or a macro level model of the recently concluded two year World Bank aided pilot participatory project on conservation and sustainable use of medicinal plants implemented in nine tribal settlements in Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam districts.

Conducted among the Kani tribal settlements of Chonampara, Mankode, Kaithode, Pankavu, Mulamoodu, Aryavila, Vallippara, Thottappurm, Achankoil etc., a biodiversity registrar and database on various tribal knowledge was created as part of the project. It also helped the Tropical Botanical Garden and Research Institute (TBGRI) in Thiruvananthapuram to develop three herbal drugs based on the Kani tribal medicine knowledge. The Forest Department plans to approach the Forest Development Agency and various other sources to mobilize funds to implement the project.

It is to be noted the Kerala Government had identified about 35 scheduled tribal communities and 13 other tribal communities in the state having knowledge on a number of traditional medicines and other agricultural practices. Though the Kerala Institute for Research, Training and Development Studies of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (KIRTADS) had plans of creating a comprehensive database of indigenous tribal medicine knowledge in the state, it has not worked out so far due to various reasons. The forest department also had initiated a few projects on biodiversity registrars in the state, with the help of various agencies. One of such projects was done in the Ernakulam district, said sources.