World Wildlife Day 2026 highlights medicinal plants amid rising global demand

Key facts

• World Wildlife Day is observed annually on 3 March and in 2026 focuses on medicinal and aromatic plants.
• Danna J. Leaman, outgoing co-chair of the Medicinal Plant Specialist Group of the Species Survival Commission at the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), stated that plants are critical for ecosystems and economies.
• Around 30,000 plant species are documented as medicinal or aromatic based on published evidence and trade data.
• The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) recognises that many species in international trade are plants.
• Nardostachys jatamansi, a Himalayan herb used in Ayurveda and valued for its aromatic roots, is listed as critically endangered on IUCN’s Red List.
• The species grows in high-altitude regions of Nepal, India and China, and harvesting its root usually kills the plant.
• Nepal has imposed trade restrictions on wild Nardostachys jatamansi to promote conservation while affecting rural livelihoods dependent on its harvest.