This is the first of a three-part blog series called ‘Going Beyond GDP for Bhutan’. The content is based on a collaboration between Bhutan’s Department of Forest and Park Services (DoFPS) and ICIMOD to develop guidelines for Natural Capital Accounting (NCA) for Protected Areas (PAs), using Bhutan’s Jigme Dorji National Park (JDNP) as a case study. The work is supported by ICIMOD’s Himalayan Resilience Enabling Programme (HI-REAP) funded by United Kingdom International Development.
Vibrant purples and blues of intriguing blooms called our attention as we made our way through forests and hills carpeted with a rich mixture of greens, greys, and earth tones. Despite the cautionary advice to not touch or smell any flowers or plants to avoid any allergies or contact toxicity, we could not help but closely admire the seemingly ordinary plants and herbs. But this was no normal botanical display – we were surrounded by a wealth of highly prized medicinal plants and herbs as we walked through Jigme Dorji National Park (JDNP) in north-western Bhutan.
“This place is a living pharmacy!” exclaimed Izabella Koziell, ICIMOD’s Deputy Director General, “we should be collecting herbs along the way”. This sent a wave of laughter through the team, as we continued our journey through Bhutan’s second-largest national park, where, according to the park’s team, more than two hundred species of medicinal herbs have been recorded, boasting myriad health benefits.
Iconic sanctuary
JDNP is a testament to Bhutan’s rich biodiversity, proudly preserving several of the nation’s iconic symbols. Within its borders, you will find the majestic cypress (Cupressus torulosa) – the revered national tree, the takin (Budorcas taxicolor), best described as ‘having the body of a cow and the face of a goat’ – the national animal, the blue poppy (Meconopsis grandis) – an emblematic national flower, and the raven (Corvus corax) – the national bird.
In addition to being a sanctuary for these iconic species, JDNP is also a treasure trove of medicinal herbs, as we discovered on our journey – part of the ‘Lingzhi – Laya Walkshop’ undertaken by a team from ICIMOD and partners from Bhutan in September 2023. The ‘walkshop’ is an initiative of ICIMOD to connect and interact with mountain communities to understand their urgent needs and issues from their perspective in the face of climate change.
Medicinal herbs – the essence of mountain livelihoods
At the heart of mountain livelihoods within JDNP lies a pivotal practice – the collection of medicinal plants, herbs, and other species. Throughout our journey in the national park, we encountered yak herders collecting herbs, whose highland livelihoods are closely tied to both yak products and medicinal herbs.
Photo credit: Thinley Norbu
The Caterpillar fungus (Ophiocordyceps sinensis), also known as yartsa gunbu – translated as ‘winter worm, summer grass’ – is found across the expanse of the park. Yartsa gunbu is sometimes called ‘Himalayan gold’, given its high price and popularity in the market. It is used as a tonic for many ailments, including as an aphrodisiac in traditional medicine, and to alleviate liver and kidney diseases, diabetes, fatigue, and dizziness, among many others.
A yak herder we met at Shodu (4,000 metres above sea level, masl) proudly shared with us that he had gathered a plentiful harvest of yartsa gunbu during the last collection season and had earned a good income from the sales. Further north, at Tshering Yangu (4,220 masl), three women yak herders described their routine, which involves tending to their yaks while simultaneously collecting medicinal species. These include yartsa gunbu, kutki/puti shing (Picrorhiza kurroa), and Jatamansi (Nardostachys jatamansi) – used for a range of conditions and ailments.
Diverse natural resources, diverse incomes
The gathering of medicinal herbs leverages the unique biodiversity of the JDNP, capitalising on the abundance of natural resources in the remote highlands. The collection of high-value herbs has diversified the income sources for highland communities, helping them to build their resilience to better cope with uncertainties from climate change, such as extreme weather events, and changes in pasture conditions that affect yak herding.
This livelihood strategy of combining herb collection and yak herding underscores the profound significance of high-value herb gathering in sustaining the livelihoods of remote mountain communities in Bhutan.
Growing threats, persisting challenges
The heavy dependence on herb collection for livelihoods comes with its threats and challenges, many of which are just emerging. Among these is the encroachment of invasive species and shrubs on rangelands, such as rumex species and rhododendron shrubberies, which have significantly threatened the growth and harvesting of medicinal herbs. The changing climate may also be affecting the proliferation and upslope movement of these shrubs and invasive species.
The collection of medicinal herbs is at risk of declining, likely due to the changing climate. Changes in weather patterns have altered the growth and phenology – the annually recurring sequence of plant developmental stages, including flowering, fruiting, and seeding – of medicinal herbs, resulting in reduced harvests. Unpredictable and irregular rainfall has exacerbated soil erosion and landslides, further impacting areas where medicinal herbs are harvested.
According to Menjong Sorig, a state-owned enterprise of the Royal Government of Bhutan that follows Sowa Rigpa, an ancient traditional medicinal system influenced by Buddhist philosophy, there are also issues with collection practices. With medicinal herbs high in demand, the number of collectors has increased in the highlands. Unfortunately, these collectors often fail to follow sustainable collection practices, resulting in overharvesting and damage to plants and sites, which may have contributed to the decline in the availability of medicinal herbs.
Thinley Norbu, Sr. Pharmaceutical Technician at Menjong Sorig, also stresses that the future of herb collection and its contribution to mountain livelihoods depends on the stability of the natural habitats of herbs and the maintenance of sustainable populations in the collection areas through appropriate collection techniques. This includes gathering only plants that are found in abundance, avoiding unnecessary damage to plants, harvesting conservatively by taking no more than 30–50% using the ‘thinning method’, and covering the hole after digging or uprooting to protect against infection and invasion by pests.
Fostering nature-based livelihoods
Despite the recent decline in their availability, medicinal species remain relatively abundant in the region. For that reason, bioprospecting – the systematic and organised search for useful products derived from bioresources from which medicinal drugs and other commercially valuable compounds can be obtained – holds significant promise for uplifting high-altitude communities, such as those in JDNP, by fostering nature-based livelihoods.
ICIMOD, under its project, the Himalayan Resilience Enabling Action Programme (HI-REAP), is committed to establishing an enabling environment that supports and sustains the development of bioprospecting-based value chains and enterprises in Bhutan and Nepal.
The experiences and outcomes in Bhutan, with a prioritised pilot site in JDNP, will serve as a valuable intervention and evidence to facilitate the scaling of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) in India and Nepal. NbS are actions to protect, sustainably manage, or restore natural ecosystems that address environmental, social, economic, and gender-related challenges while simultaneously providing human wellbeing and biodiversity benefits.
Our efforts within the framework of HI-REAP are directed towards documenting valuable medicinal plants, enhancing the capabilities of processing and pharmaceutical companies to diversify their products, and refining benefit-sharing mechanisms with a focus on Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) and the rights of Indigenous people. We look forward to exploring nature’s pharmacy in other mountain communities across the HKH, and to help enhance highlanders’ livelihoods that work in harmony with nature.
Herbs in focus: Top six medicinal herbs from JDNP
Curation and Photo credits: Thinley Norbu
Onosma hookeri Clarke, Altitude: 2834–5800 masl
Used for asthma, hypertension, and pneumonia
Neopicrorhiza scrophulariiflora, Altitude: 3500–4800 masl
Used as an anticoagulant, diarrhoea alleviator, blood-enriching agent, detoxifier, and fever reducer
Polygonatum verticillatum, Altitude: 3500–4800 masl
Used as a tonic, revitalizer, aphrodisiac, appetite stimulant, digestion aid, dewormer, headache relief, growth regulator, calming agent for children, and anti-aging remedy. It also helps with dizziness, blurred vision, boils, oedema (dropsy), gout, skin rashes, and general discomfort.
Leontopodium himalayanum, Altitude: 3800–5500 masl
Useful as an ingredient for moxibustion
Rhododendron wallichii, Altitude: 3800- 5500 masl
Used as a haemostatic and neutraliser, and as an ingredient in incense products.
The article was published in Oman Observer.