March 3 is World Wildlife Day (WWD).
In December 2013 at the 68th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, March 3 was declared World Wildlife Day. This day is also the day the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora was signed in 1973.
This year’s theme of the WWD is the Medicinal and Aromatic Plants: Conserving Health, Heritage and Livelihoods.
Medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) are essential for both human health and ecological balance.
This is evidenced by the fact that in developing countries 70-95 per cent of the population relies on traditional medicine for treating and preventing illness and the European market for herbal supplements and herbal medicines is estimated to be worth billions of US dollars per year.
For this reason, the World Health Organization recognizes that MAPs form the foundation of many healthcare systems and remain vital to modern pharmaceuticals, as numerous active drug compounds are derived directly or indirectly from natural sources, despite advancements in synthetic chemistry.
MAPs also contribute to the production of cosmetics, food and luxury goods, and play a crucial role in supporting ecosystems by stabilizing soils and promoting biodiversity.
Approximately 50 000-70 000 medicinal and aromatic plant species are harvested globally. However, over 20 per cent of plant species are considered to be threatened with extinction on the International Union for the Protection of Nature Red List, mainly due to overharvesting, habitat loss and illegal international trade.
The current situation highlights the necessity to raise public awareness of the protection of MAPs and use them in a sustainable manner.
The DPRK, most of its territory covered with mountains, makes great efforts to turn all the mountains into those full of medicinal herbs.
It boasts over 900 species of wild medicinal plants, and at least 1 200 species when the medicinal plants under cultivation are added.
In order to protect and multiply medicinal herb resources, it conducts a nationwide campaign to create forests for medicinal raw materials in months in spring and autumn dedicated to the cultivation of medicinal herbs.
Cultivation, conservation and procurement of medicinal herbs are legally guaranteed by the law of the DPRK on medicinal herbs.
Ho Un Ju, staffer at the Central Committee of the Nature Conservation Union of Korea
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