CLIMATE CHANGE IS GLOBALLY IMPACTING THE ENDANGERMENT OF MEDICINAL PLANTS

Climate change is significantly contributing to the global endangerment of medicinal plants, which are vital for traditional and modern medicine. Rising temperatures, altered precipitation patterns, and extreme weather events are causing habitat degradation and forcing plants to migrate to higher altitudes or latitudes, often beyond their ecological limits. Changing climate conditions disrupt ecosystems, leading to the decline of plant diversity. This particularly affects rare or endemic medicinal species with limited distribution. Climate Change alters flowering and fruiting times, which can affect plant reproduction and reduce yields of bioactive compounds essential for medicinal use. Warmer climates can boost the spread of pests and plant diseases, further threatening the survival of medicinal plant populations. Climate-induced scarcity can lead to overharvesting of remaining plant populations by communities relying on them for health and livelihood, compounding their risk of extinction. Several indigenous and local communities that depend on these plants for traditional medicine face health and economic challenges due to reduced availability. Climate Change exacerbates existing threats to medicinal plants, underlining the need for conservation strategies, sustainable harvesting practices, and climate-resilient cultivation methods.