A capacity building project was undertaken by six partner organisations, to support the long term conservation and sustainable use of medicinal plants in Ghana. A broad approach was followed, involving: development of medicinal plant gardens at two Botanic Gardens||an ethnobotanical survey undertaken at six villages||production of a manual for the propagation and cultivation of medicinal plants||development of computerized information systems at the Ghana Herbarium and Aburi Botanic Garden to allow analyses to be undertaken illustrating the status of medicinal plants in Ghana in the wild, particularly in relation to land use and protected areas. This report provides details on the methodology followed and the status of each of these outputs and preliminary analyses of the computerized collection data. These analyses illustrate the importance of computerizing plant record data held at biological institutions. They demonstrate the use to which the resulting information can be put in terms of generating material that is readily accessible and easily understood by those responsible for making decisions concerning the long term survival of one of the world's natural resources of key importance for human health.

This report documents industry's progress unfinished business and future challenge in implementing agenda 21.