80% population depends on plant-based medicine

Amaravati: “What we have collectively altered, we can collectively restore. We have the power to think, innovate, and act,” said Farida Tampal, State Director of WWF India, Hyderabad, while delivering the keynote address at the World Wildlife Day 2026 celebrations at SRM-AP.

The Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, School of Engineering and Sciences (SEAS), commemorated the occasion with a wildlife photography exhibition titled “Together for Wildlife: Medicinal and Aromatic Plants – Conserving Health, Heritage, and Livelihoods.” Referring to findings from the Living Planet Report and the advancing Earth Overshoot Day, Farida Tampal drew attention to alarming global biodiversity decline. She noted that nearly 80 per cent of the world’s population depends on plant-based traditional medicine and emphasised that conservation extends beyond biology into economics, technology, law, art, and innovation.

Prof CV Tomy, Dean, SEAS, described Wildlife Day as a moment of reflection and commitment toward safeguarding forests and ecological balance. Dr Shoji D Thottathil and Prof Sreenath Subrahmanyam highlighted the interconnectedness of wildlife and human well-being, stressing the responsibility of young learners in addressing climate change and habitat loss.