The Himalayas range from Afghanistan to Myanmar with rapidly depleting medicinal plant resources. Nepal, occupying the central portion of the Himalayan range represents 6,076 taxa of flowering plants under 1,534 genera and 216 families. About 5% of the vascular flora is endemic to the country while 30% to the Himalayan range. About 1,600 species have recorded uses in traditional medicine covering 80% of the rural population. About 100 species of wild plants, including medicinal plants endemic to the country and the Himalaya, are harvested for commercial purposes. Medicinal plant based industries are infantile in the country. Over 90% of the commercial collection in Nepal is exported to India, and is the major source and steady basis for the Indian pharmaceutical and aroma industries. The trade in medicinal and aromatic plants is an important source of revenue to the government and a major source of cash income to the rural people of Nepal’s impoverished highland villages. Nepal has a rich medicinal plant resource base, but increasing commercial demands are exceeding supplies. Due to rapidly increasing population and declining crop productivity, rural needs for off-farm employment opportunities are increasing. This results in increased harvesting of forest resources, which is accelerated by the gradually flourishing medicinal plant-based domestic industries. As the result, Nepal is facing challenges to sustain its medicinal plant resource base and safeguard its rich biodiversity. Recently, attempts to systematically study and evaluate the threat status of wild medicinal plants in the country have been done through national and international efforts. Based on field studies, potential and viable recommendations to develop and manage the country’s rich medicinal plant diversity have been provided to the government and donor communities. It is hoped that more concerted efforts will be launched to conserve and sustain medicinal plant resources of the country and the region.
