Biodiversity conservation from the perspective of medicinal benefits

Using herbs to cure diseases

As we know, the flora comes first, then the fauna follows. Many animals have their source of life attached to plants, the flora creates an environment for animals to survive. For humans, the flora ecosystem is also a source of medicinal resources. As arranged by nature, each region has plants that serve humans, some plants are a source of food, some plants are medicinal herbs. Each region has its own unique medicinal herbs.

Belonging to the hot and humid tropical region with lots of rain, our country spans many latitudes. The North is also influenced by tropical weather, so Vietnam's flora is very rich. Since ancient times, our people have known how to use herbs to cure diseases, accumulating many unique experiences. Many herbs have been used effectively by the people. Using traditional medicine to cure diseases has become an experience and a way of life of our ancestors. The great physician - Zen master Tue Tinh (14th century) stated a famous point of view: "Nam Duoc Tri Nam Nhan" (Southern medicine cures diseases for Southern people). Sometimes just a handful of leaves around the house can have the effect of relieving colds, a wild tree on the roadside can have the effect of cooling the body... And the ethnic minorities in the mountainous regions have used many native plants and leaves to miraculously cure diseases. According to the concept of Divination, people in the East belong to the wood element and are suitable for treating diseases with herbal plants. People in the West belong to the metal element, and treating diseases has a tradition of pharmaceutical chemistry. And today, many people, both Eastern and Western, realize that using medicine from herbal sources is safe and has few side effects.

Human civilization is moving towards science, Western medicine is considered the official method of treatment, while other methods of treatment such as Oriental medicine, acupuncture, health care... are considered complementary medicine. Human culture respects everything that brings benefits to people, our Party's medical policy is to combine Eastern and Western medicine. Therefore, taking advantage of the potential of traditional medicinal resources is an inevitable direction in modern life.

In the world, more and more scientists are interested in extracting pharmaceuticals from plants, encouraging people to use local remedies based on the experience of each region and area. To do so, protecting biodiversity and conserving genetic resources must be one step ahead. Our country has a rich and diverse source of plants, and some people have aimed for a future of pharmaceutical industry for the country. A pharmaceutical industry with great potential can be compared to the major pharmaceutical centers in the world.

Preserve the ecological environment

In fact, the environmental ecosystem in our country has been damaged quite a lot. First of all, in mountainous areas, unplanned exploitation, lack of conservation awareness and forest fires have depleted species, many species are at risk of extinction. Replanted forests that only restore green color are often monospecific, the diversity of the past is increasingly lost.

In the plains, the destruction of biodiversity is even more evident. People often pay attention to fruit trees, trees that are not economic objects are considered wild trees that need to be eliminated. Construction today is mainly made of cement, iron and steel, bamboo trees are removed from the countryside landscape, and too many chemicals are used to kill weeds, wild trees gradually disappear. The cool green fences of the past are replaced by closed brick walls. In the past, the fences next to bamboo, elm trees, and hibiscus trees had many other plants that lived together, and when needed, people used them very well to cure diseases.

Considering the many losses that are difficult to restore. It is better to do it now than not and there must be a strong policy. Next is the propaganda and education of people to be aware of protecting biodiversity. Each locality must be really close in monitoring and directing the practice: How to use herbicides? Where can we plant more bamboo clumps, a kapok tree, to create a landscape and also as traditional medicine. Wild plants that grow without any impact should not be destroyed just for the thought of cleaning the eyes. And the villages on the path to building new rural areas must continue to clarify this concept, in which improving the quality of the ecological environment, biodiversity must be given special attention. There are some saplings that are still ordinary today, who knows in the future science will find great values ​​there.