Why is it in the news?
World Wildlife Day was observed on 3 March 2026 highlighting the conservation of medicinal and aromatic plants.
The day commemorates the adoption of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
Category: Environment
Important Points:
● Theme for 2026: “Medicinal and Aromatic Plants: Conserving Health, Heritage and Livelihoods”.
● The UN General Assembly declared 3 March as World Wildlife Day in 2013.
● India possesses about 7% of global biodiversity with around 45,000 plant species.
● Around 15,000 plant species in India are medicinal plants.
● Nearly 8,000 species are used in traditional medicine systems such as Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani.
● About 70% of medicinal plants occur in the Western Ghats, Eastern Ghats, Himalayas and Aravalli ranges.
● India maintains 115 Medicinal Plants Conservation Areas (MPCAs) for in-situ conservation.
● Ex-situ conservation is carried out at the National Seed Gene Bank, New Delhi.