The World Bamboo Day is celebrated to create awareness about the importance of bamboo as a versatile material for sustainable lifestyle. The theme of World Bamboo Day 2018 is: bamboo as a tool for achieving economic and social sustainability.

Bamboo is part of rural livelihood in many countries, especially in developing counties like India. Due to its versatile nature and multiple uses, it is also called ‘poor man’s timber’. Though it grows tall like a tree, it belongs to the grass family. It can withstand drought as well as flood.

India is second only to China in terms of bamboo diversity. The North-Eastern States are a storehouse of bamboo diversity, home to 58 bamboo varieties.

Bamboo is grown on 10 million hectares in India and covers almost 13 per cent of the total forest area. The total production of bamboo is five million tonnes per year. About 8.6 million people depend on bamboo for their livelihood. The value of bamboo in India is estimated at $4.4 billion.

Bamboo lifestyle

Though Madhya Pradesh has the largest area under bamboo forests, bamboo culture thrives in the North Eastern region. From the tender shoots as a delicacy food item to the rice cooked in the hollow of raw bamboo, it is part of everyday life.

From house construction to flooring, agricultural implements, bamboo pervades all aspects of life and culture. We find artistic skills in bamboo weaving in these regions.

The advantage of bamboo is manifold compared to monoculture tree plantations. After planting, bamboo clumps start yielding after 4-7 years. It can become part of agro forestry practice in small land holdings. New bamboo plantations may curb the pressure from deforestation by serving as wood substitutes.

It can be planted to reclaim severely degraded sites and wastelands. It is good soil binder owing to its peculiar clump formation and fibrous root system and hence also plays an important role in soil and water conservation. Though India launched the National Bamboo Mission in 2007, it has failed to address the enormity of the issues related to bamboo.

Realising this lacuna, the Finance Minister has allocated $200 million in the 2018 Budget to provide new impetus to the bamboo sector, with huge support to the North-Eastern States. A proper understanding of bamboo culture and technical support could unleash a bamboo revolution that has the capacity to uplift the people in this region and provide economic, social and ecological sustainability.

In November 2017 the Centre relaxed the restrictions on harvesting, transit and trade of bamboo to boost the bamboo economy across the country. In contrast to India, China has achieved great success in growing and showcasing bamboo forests and products.

China’s example

The headquarters of International Bamboo and Rattan Organisation (INBAR) is located in China. It is a multilateral development organisation which promotes environmentally sustainable development using bamboo and rattan. It has been making a real difference to the lives of millions of people and environments around the world with achievements in areas such as: raising standards; promoting safe, resilient bamboo construction; restoring degraded land; capacity-building; and informing green policy and sustainable development objectives.

Following the footsteps of China, India needs to support farmers to establish bamboo plantations in barren slopes. It is the fastest growing canopy, releasing 35 per cent more oxygen than trees. There are studies reporting that bamboo stands sequester 12 tonnes of carbon dioxide from per hectare. During the wet season a bamboo plant grows up to one foot everyday!

Bamboo is an integral part of our life and culture, as it is used in religious ceremonies, art and music. Thus it is a mystical plant that engulfs our daily lives.

However, we have failed to tap this renewable resource to rebuild green economy to achieve the goals of sustainable social and economic development, especially of the weaker sections of society who are engaged in bamboo resources.

The writer has been an activist with the Chipko/Appiko Movement over three decades

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