Ethnobiology and Indigenous Regimes in the Conservation of Species, Watersheds, and Landscapes: Experiences and Evidences from the Hindu Kush-Himalayan Nations for a Global Application

Abstract

Ethnobiology, traditionally subclassified into ethnobotany, ethnozoology, ethnomedicine, and ethnogenomics, targets the study of ethnic groups that use animals and plants for the welfare of human and animals. Although this branch is rather old and deep in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan countries like Nepal and locally, it has only recently been included in the courses of study in the university level. This chapter tackles this topic through a Hindu Kush-Himalayan political history from the perspective of the current situation of ethnic groups, their role and practices, and specifically through traditional healers, maintainers and cultural mechanisms of ethnic knowledge in the conservation of local biodiversity. Finally, we postulate a few recommendations that are critical for the so-called scientific development of ethnic groups, ethnobiology, and conservation in the long term.