Medicinal Plants are the main ingredients of local medicines and are of vital importance in traditional health care. People use medicinal plants species for sustenance of their traditional health care system both logistically as well economically. But due to more inclination towards modern Technology and over extraction of many of these plants has resulted in considerable depletion of the population of such species and some have become extinct.

In Karnataka according to the study of the Botanical Survey of India there are 3924 species belonging to 1323 genera and 199 families in the forests, of which 1493 species are of medicinal value. These belong to 808 genera and 108 families. They occur in different vegetation types across the Western Ghats.

Karnataka State Medicinal Plants Authority (KaMPA) was established in the year 2002 with an objective of conservation, utilisation and development of the medicinal plants sector in the state. The main activity of KaMPA consists of implementation of the National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB), Government of India, schemes through different institutions in the state.

KaMPA provides guidance to various departments of government of Karnataka and any developmental organizations on policy matters relating to projects, schemes and programmes for the conservation, utilization and development of medicinal plants in Karnataka state. The authority also encourage and sponsor research related to medicinal plants, its management, harvest, utilization and take up pilot projects in the conservation, utilization and development of medicinal plants.

In-situ conservation and Ex-situ cultivation of medicinal plants in Karnataka was given required importance and implemented the following projects:

In order to develop ex-situ conservation strategies for Rare Endangered and Threatened (RET) species in the Western Ghats, a Network Project involving 10 research centres in the state of Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Assam is under implementation. The Indian Institute of Horticulture Research (IIHR) coordinates the projects and about more than 80 species has been conserved.

IAmla (Phyllanthus emblica) is one of the most valuable Indian medicinal plants with antioxidant properties and is a very rich source of Vitamin ‘C’. Amla is also said to be the only fruit which can cure Tridosas of vatta, pitta and kapha as per the Ayurvedic texts. In order to popularize this plant and make the fruit available to children, NMPB, Government of India has launched a National Campaign on Amla. In Karnataka this project is implemented through IIHR, NGO’s and different KVKs situated in each district of Karnataka.

There are 32 on-going promotional projects sanctioned by the National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB), Government of India, which have been diligently monitored by KaMPA

In Karnataka with the help of FRLHT, Bangalore, 13 MPCA and MPDA are established and managed with the help of local people. Details of Medicinal plants conservation areas in Karnataka are given below