As the World marks the Bamboo Day, Rwandans are called up to embrace the culture of bamboo as a way of safeguarding the environment and improving socio-economic lives.
World Bamboo Day was officially established on September 18 at the 8th World Bamboo Congress held in Bangkok in 2009. Since then, people and businesses from around the world use this day to raise awareness of the benefits of bamboo and to promote its use in everyday products.
The Day represents an opportunity to raise awareness and understanding of bamboo and to improve and promote the use of bamboo and bamboo products for the sake of the environment and economy.
Bamboo is a valuable resource with vital ecological, commercial and socio-economic importance points of view. It is widely used to control erosion, as paper and rayon manufacture, construction, architecture, engineering, handicraft, food and medicine across the world. The plant is also credited with abilities to sequester 30 per cent more carbon than other tree species and releases 35% more oxygen than equivalent stands of trees, according to scientists.
On the occasion of the Bamboo Day, Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA) is urging Rwandans to adopt bamboo culture to boost their welfare and contribute to environment protection.
“Bamboo provides a rich means of livelihood and life improvement for communities. We are thus encouraging Rwandans to adopt the culture as a way of promoting a safe and sound environment and better living conditions,” Eng. Coletha Ruhamya, the Director General of REMA, observed.
“By embracing bamboo culture we would be heavily contributing to the protection of our natural resources and our environment and of course we would be setting ground for a strong bamboo industry with a high economic potential,” Eng. Ruhamya added.
The Government of Rwanda promotes bamboo culture, particularly in its efforts to protect riverbanks and degraded areas. REMA is one of the institutions that have heavily invested in bamboo culture for their environmental and economic potentials.
It is estimated that bamboo plantations cover 4,381 ha, corresponding to 1.82% of the total national forest cover.
Opportunities in Bamboo Plantations
What Challenge are we addressing?
- Soil losses by erosion ( 40,000t every year)
- Restore and protect Water catchments/watersheds
- Reducing Carbon emissions
- Loss of biodiversity
- Livelihood alternatives
- Economic growth/performance
Bamboo addresses THREE major national concerns:
- ECOLOGICAL SECURITY: conservation of forests through timber substitution, alternate materials to non-biodegradable & high energy consuming materials like metals and plastics
- SUSTAINABLE FOOD SECURITY: bamboo based agro – forestry system, maintenance of soil fertility of adjoining agricultural lands, and bamboo shoots
- LIVELIHOOD SECURITY: generation of employment in planting and primary processing for manufacturing mat based composites and other market driven bamboo product
CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION
Did you know?
- Bamboo stands release 35% more oxygen than equivalent stands of trees.
- Some bamboo even sequester up to 12 tons of carbon dioxide from the air per hectare.
- Bamboo can also lower light intensity and protects against ultraviolet rays.
- It is very easy, affordable, and profitable for low income communities to grow and use bamboo.
- Bamboos grow more rapidly than trees and start to yield within three or four years of planting.
- Plantation establishment requires minimal capital investment and builds upon the inherent plant-cultivation skills of local farmers and foresters.
- Bamboos can be harvested annually and non-destructively.
- Bamboos are excellent for rejuvenating degraded lands and protecting against soil erosion.
- Bamboos may easily be intercropped with shallow-rooted crops.
- As well as the culms, all other parts of the bamboo plant can be used in rural livelihoods – shoots for food, leaves for fodder, and branches for items such as brooms and for firewood.
Major Uses of Bamboo ( Example of India):
Use Percent Consumption
Paper Pulp 35.0
Housing 20.0
Non-Residential 5.0
Rural uses 20.0
Fuel 8.5
Packing, including baskets 5.0
Transport 1.5
Furniture 1.0
Other wood industries 1.0
Others, including ladders etc. 3.0 6
Requirements for success:
- Sustained supply of bamboos.
- Some technically-trained personnel to manage and maintain the unit.
- A small amount of start up capital.
- Willingness of the village community to establish and work in a cooperative.
- Proper linkages to the users of the bamboo products.
