The Maya mountains and adjacent areas of the Toledo district of Southern Belize support a large area of semi-evergreen tropical rainforest. Rainfall is high in the area and recent surveys demonstrate that species richness is also high, with new records being noted regularly, including several previously un-described species (Ironmonger et al, 1995)
making the area increasingly important for biodiversity conservation, as it represents a "biodiversity hotspot" for the region.
The Kekchi Maya communities of the area lead a traditional lifestyle in this forest and maintain traditional medical systems as part of their culture today, a culture that has successfully used nature to treat primary and complex ailments for over 5,000 years. In an age when drugs are increasingly questioned and when more and more people are
using viable natural alternatives, the Maya medical heritage must not only be documented, recorded and saved but also used.
In a progressive development, the Government of Belize has entered into a co-management agreement with the indigenous people to ensure their intellectual property rights, sustainability, conservation and management of the area. Despite its biodiversity riches, the area has many challenges of economic development and remains one of the poorest areas
of Belize with high unemployment. There is an urgent need for better training, education and employment. There is also a community wide desire to maintain a traditional culture and lifestyle, particularly in primary health care both as a means to support elders in the community but also to pass on traditional beliefs to younger generations.
The Itzama Project sets out to address these issues in a novel sustainable development, biodiversity conservation, and environmental health initiative through traditional healing systems and rainforest stewardship. The project supports technological improvements for sustainable propagation of plant species; research and training in more
effective harvesting and processing techniques; plant propagation, harvesting, and marketing; analysis of marketing policies; establishment of community-managed, forest-based enterprises for income generation.
While relatively modest, this program holds real promise of enhancing the sustainable management of the medicinal plant resources of the area in a way that will enable local communities to reap the economic benefits of these resources without depleting the forests and endangered plant species-and thus pave the way for similar areas internationally.
Specifics on the Itzama Project
Development of the existing botanical garden for demonstration of traditionally used medicinal plants, their ex situ conservation, agricultural production for local use, and small enterprise development. The garden will be used as a community center (for events), for educational activities with school children, as a visitor center, for
training of horticulturalists, and for production of medicinal plants for sale locally or for processing as finished products. In situ conservation of wild plant in the adjacent conservation areas is enhanced by elimination of harvesting pressure that has been very damaging to wild stocks elsewhere.
Development of a traditional healing and cultural center. The formal integration of traditional healing into the primary health care system in the Maya villages is underway. The healers work with local nurses, midwives and hospitals to provide primary health care in the villages where health care resources are very stretched but forward difficult
medical cases to the district hospital. The building of a healers center also provides a cultural center for the Kekchi Maya communities which can foster cultural awareness among young people, local visitors and tourists.
Development of a scientific research and conservation center. Over 250 species of medicinal plants have been identified in participatory research with the healers-a rich source of material for sustainable resource development. Studies will be undertaken to scientifically examine the medicinal plants for efficacy and safety, in order to understand
basis of traditional knowledge and improve quality of phytomedicines, or make selections for appropriate commercial development. Traditional healing will be studied as an emerging concept in integrated health care for indigenous and worldwide communities. Ex situ and in situ conservation, biodiversity resource management is a key issue today and will be linked
to the Central American Conservation Corridor projects. Production and propagation methods of exotic species will be studied for the first time at the garden.
Indigenous poverty alleviation. Marketing and information portals for indigenous products and services will be developed through several venues including the culturally appropriate Earth Healers green marketing strategies and the establishment of a Maya Cyber Café in Punta Gorda for local people and visitors. The café can provide for sale fair trade,
organic medicinal plants, medicinal plant guides, and other cultural materials such as handicrafts. Services offered include traditional healing excursions (visits to medicinal garden and trails and participation in healing ceremonies), ecotourism and archeological visits. The Itzama garden can grow to develop a local commercial and export industry for herbal
products. Income generated is used to support the healers, develop the garden and train students.
Rapid Ethnobotanical Surveys for conservation of the Central American corridor. In a participatory research project, the traditional healers, and partners are identifying disappearing and endangered medicinal plant sites in the Maya mountain wilderness area. The work will highlight species and places for conservation purposes in select areas. This is
one of the last remaining wilderness areas of Central America in which new species are likely to be found.
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