Sayma Akhter

Ethno-medicinal plants use by the Manipuri tribal community in Bangladesh

An ethno-medicinal investigation was conducted to understand the traditional knowledge of medicinal plants being used by the Manipuri tribe in Bangladesh. The present study was done through structured questionnaires in consultations with the tribal practitioners. A total 32 plant species belonging to 26 families and 29 genera were found to use for curing 37 ailments. Results show that the use of aboveground plant parts was higher (86%) than the underground plant parts (14%). Leaf was used in the majority of cases for medicinal preparation (17 species) followed by bark, fruit, root/rhizome, whole plant, seed and flower. Among the 32 plant species, they were mainly used to treat dysentery (10 species), followed by fever and rheumatism (5 species each); asthma, constipation, wounds and skin diseases (4 species each); cold ailments, cough and diarrhea (3 species each). The study revealed that 72% plant species investigated were used to cure more than one ailment. About 75% medicinal plants were taken orally followed by externally (9%) and both orally and externally (16%). The study thus underscores the potentials of the ethno-botanical research and the need for the documentation of indigenous healthcare knowledge pertaining to the medicinal plant utilization for the greater benefit of mankind.

The role of women in traditional farming systems as practiced in homegardens: a case study in Sylhet Sadar Upazila, Bangladesh

Forests cover only 6 to 8 percent of the total land area of Bangladesh. While agricultural expansion continues to massively deplete the natural forests, a well-managed homegarden practice is vital for reversing the existing trend and promoting the ecological balance of the country. An understanding of the role of women in homegarden management within a traditional farming system is important in expanding and improving the practice. This paper seeks to explore the participation of women in homegarden management activities, understanding the impact of homegardens on womens income and livelihoods and assessing womens awareness of homegarden-oriented activities that support forest conservation. The study demonstrates a number of important conclusions: (1) women are mostly involved in homegarden management-related activities (2) women are interested in conserving homegardens because they obtain such substantial benefits as food security, income, health care, and environmental benefits (3) women were found to be aware of home-garden conservation and tuned to motivating husbands, children, and neighbors to conserve the agro-biodiversity of homegardens. Findings suggest that increased involvement of women in a broad range of homegarden management activities is not only beneficial for their own socio-economic well-being, but also imperative for sustaining the livelihoods of their communities and for preserving the agro-biodiversity in homegardens.

A review on the use of non-timber forest products in beauty-care in Bangladesh

This review describes the non-timber forest products (NTFPs) used for different aspects of beauty-care in Bangladesh on the basis of extensive literature survey. The diverse plant species, including used parts and using patterns for hair care, facial treatments and body care, were summarized in 13 tables. This paper accumulate the scattered knowledge regarding the use of plants in beauty-care in Bangladesh, to draw the extent of use of NTFPs in health care and to record the knowledge for assessing the possibilities of further implementation in herbal cosmetics industries. The structured knowledge can be used in policy making process for sustainable management of these valuable NTFPs leading to the conservation of the country’s biological diversity. It is suggested that intensive field level research is necessary for securing sustainability of NTFPs.

Coping with Climate Change by Using Indigenous Knowledge of Ethnic Communities from in and around Lawachara National Park of Bangladesh

Abstract Climate change is considered to be one of the most serious threats and its impact is felt by the most vulnerable world’spoorest countries including Bangladesh. In particular, ethnic communities, whose livelihoods depend on the use of natural resources, are likely to bear the brunt of adverse impacts. A case study was conducted in a fragile ecosystem of Lawachara national park of Bangladesh, to know the indigenous knowledge of the ethnic communities, how they adapt with the climate change impact by using indigenous knowledge. They use various IK to protect their crops from climate change impact. Thus, government should design policies which will be helpful to make them more resilience to face climate change impact.Key Words: adaptation, indigenous knowledge, climate change, ethnic communities, Bangladesh Received: February 22, 2013. Revised: July 12, 2013. Accepted: July 22, 2013.Corresponding author: Sayma AkhterSchool of Environment, Natural resources and Geography, Bangor University, Bangor LL57 2UW, United KingdomTel: 447448830982, Fax: 447448830982, E-mail: sayma_sust@yahoo.com

Traditional practice of palm husbandry in the southeastern region of rural Bangladesh: status and potentials

An exploratory study was conducted in Feni, in southeast Bangladesh, to determine the status and potentials of palm husbandry in the rural economy. A total of 48 households in the study area were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. The farmers were categorized into five groups based on their landholdings. Palms comprised the highest percentage (53%) of homegarden species. The most common palm was betel nut (Areca catechu). This species was distributed over five different geographical sites, of which roadsides were most common. Farmers with medium landholdings had the greatest number of palms. Farmers typically received considerably less compensation than distributors higher in the marketing chain who handled their product. Juice or sap from the wild date palm (Phoenix sylvestris) gave the highest net average profit per liter and annual income per tree. Landless farmers gain the highest proportion of their mean annual income from palm husbandry.