Impact of Deforestation on Treasury of Traditional Knowledge

The Indian population constitutes 8% of tribal population having habitat deep in the forest. Due to ongoing deforestation activities, the ethnic races are further pushed inside the forest leaving behind the age old population and malnourished children confined in the hamlets. Deforestation is destroying the ethno biological flora and fauna resulting in to heavy loss to the traditional treasury of oral knowledge associated with age old subjects. The dependence of tribal races on indigenous specie for health and nutrition is under bad shape. The infectious diseases and micronutrient deficiencies are alarmly increasing promoting the disease burden on age old and children.. This is the critical time to stop the deforestation and allow tribals to maintain their harmony with indigenous plants and wild animals. This paper covers the loss of plants and wild animals on the background of Urbanization and Industrialization linked with deforestation in Western part of India and suggests their conservation.