This management plan has been developed following the BMP-S norms and standards however in addition it also addresses the need of South African citizens for the long-term access to medicinal plant species for health care. The plan has been conducted for six medicinal plant species naturally occurring in Ehlanzeni District of Mpumalanga Province, Alepidea cordifolia, Bowiea volubilis, Dioscorea sylvatica, Haworthiopsis limifolia, Siphonochilus aethiopicus and Warburgia salutaris. It has been developed by a wide array of stakeholders including conservation authorities, horticulturists, researchers, law enforcers, users of traditional medicines, those involved in the traditional medicine value chain (traders, and Traditional Healer Practisioners) and Non-Profit Organisations (NPOs) interested in supporting rural livelihoods.
This report details the outcomes of a process to collaboratively develop a Biodiversity Management Plan for the six species. Since many Traditional health practitioners’ (THP) in the area already grow certain medicinal plants in their home gardens, and many others are open to doing so. This plan explores options around cultivation as a possible tool for conserving and sustainably using these plants. Acceptance of cultivated medicinal plants depends on the species and its uses, as well as its socio-cultural significance within communities.
The BMP-S will be implemented in a complex and dynamic environment; therefore, over-arching principles will govern the successful overall implementation and provide context for future adaptive management.