World Wildlife Day 2026: medicinal plants at the center of the environmental and health debate

Recent evidence confirms that the diversity of medicinal plants is deeply linked to human history. However, their survival in the wild faces unprecedented risks.

March 3 is World Wildlife Day, established by the United Nations General Assembly, which since 2013 has sought to raise awareness of the value of flora and fauna for human life and the challenges they face amid climate change.

This year's theme for 2026 is “Medicinal and Aromatic Plants: Conserving Health, Heritage and Livelihoods.” The aim is to highlight the importance of these species, which are essential for ecological balance, human health and primary health care, as well as the traditional knowledge that sustains regional economies and cultures.

Diversity, traditional knowledge and global health

A study led by Nawal Shrestha, published in the journal Current Biology, notes that the diversity of medicinal plants is closely tied to human history and ecology. Along these lines, the article says, plants with medicinal properties have been fundamental to the development of human societies and remain a key source for pharmacological research and new health discoveries.

According to the text, the connection is defined by a “human footprint” on plant biodiversity, in which the length of the interaction between societies and their environment has shaped the knowledge and diversity of the plants used for health. It should also be borne in mind that a key factor is that the longer a population has lived in an area, the more it has experimented with and recognized the medicinal value of the local flora, passing this knowledge on socially.

Ecosystems, in turn, function as reservoirs, since forests and forest reserves act as critical habitats for these species. In rural communities, for example, medicinal plants are an integral part of their culture and livelihoods, accounting in some cases for up to 64% of their annual income.

Environmental and extractive threats

A study by Ghana's University of Energy and Natural Resources published in Trees, Forests and People, highlights that despite their importance, many species of medicinal plants are at risk due to habitat loss, overexploitation, climate change and illegal trade. The document notes that more than 20% of the plant species used for medicinal and aromatic purposes are considered threatened with extinction.

Meanwhile, growing global demand is driving unsustainable harvesting. According to data published in Forests and People, it is estimated that of the 50,000 to 80,000 plant species used medicinally, some 15,000 are at risk of extinction due to overharvesting and habitat destruction.

The document notes that both climate change and mining pose significant threats to the survival, quality and availability of medicinal plants, directly affecting their biology and the ecosystems that sustain them.

Along the same lines, the Forests and People study notes that illegal mining is a critical factor in environmental degradation and cites the case of “galamsey” in regions such as Ghana. Mining activity involves the direct removal of vegetation cover and soil degradation, resulting in the loss of critical habitats for wild species that cannot easily be cultivated.

Due to habitat destruction, thousands of medicinal species are at risk. Mining, together with urbanization and agricultural expansion, is pushing wild species toward local extinction. In addition, the degradation of forest environments caused by extractive activities makes it harder for gatherers to reach the plants, forcing them to travel longer distances or face more dangerous environments.

The study notes that while mining acts mainly through the direct physical destruction of the resource, climate change alters the biology and chemistry of plants, compromising their value as medicine for the billions of people who depend on them.

International organizations maintain that medicinal and aromatic plants are vital for global survival, as they sustain the health of 80% of the world's population and are the basis for nearly a third of modern drugs. However, this relationship is at a critical point of vulnerability due to overexploitation, mining and climate change, factors that not only drive species to extinction but also alter the chemical potency of those that survive.

For its part, the UN warns that survival in the wild is not guaranteed without sustainable conservation action, trade regulation and support for local communities. 

Guillermo Whpei

President of Fundación para la Democracia