The Role of People’s Participation in the Conservation and Management of Biodiversity and Associated Traditional Knowledge

The chapter highlights the ancient and modern concepts/strategies of biodiversity conservation through people’s participation both at in-situ and ex-situ level and also focuses on the significance and sector wise thrust areas of Traditional Knowledge (TK) including their protection. A development paradigm, which is not exclusively in the hands of the professionals and technologists, but with the local people should be developed. The need for systematic documentation of TK using prior informed consent, legal protection of TK, database inventory (defensive protection), exclusive rights of the beneficiaries, complementary protective measures and protection by signing contractual agreement with knowledge holders/providers and future strategies and action plan to be implemented through the people’s participation in management of biodiversity are discussed in detail.

Keywords: Ayurveda, biodiversity conservation, botanic garden, DNA library, gene bank, pollen bank, sacred groves, traditional knowledge.