UNIDO launches $15.9m bamboo project

By Lalin FERNANDOPULLE

The United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) has launched a four-year project to develop bamboo plantation in Sri Lanka as an energy crop, UNIDO (Sri Lanka) Director, Nawaz Rajabdeen said.

He said that around 15,000 hectares will be developed under the project to serve an industry cluster. UNIDO has released $ 2.69m to set up industries using bamboo as raw material under its global environment facility grant scheme. The total cost of the project is $15.9m. The objective of the project is to develop a bamboo supply chain and product industry in Sri Lanka leading to reduce the global environmental impact from GHG emissions with a sustainable industry base.

The project components include policy framework, bamboo tissue reproduction, setting up of plantations, plantation operation, transfer of bamboo processing technology to Sri Lanka and pelletising.

“UNIDO has released funds to commence research by the end of this year. Awareness programs will be conducted on the importance of bamboo cultivation”, Rajabdeen said.

Currently there is no market for sprouts but an on-going project by the International Network of Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR)in Sri Llanka is planning to develop such an industry and markets. ”Our target is to develop 15,000 hectares of new bamboo plantations in a specific region that can serve as an industry cluster. The plantations will be on degraded land” Rajabdeen said.

The industry would have three products including engineered bamboo materials for structural applications, bamboo pellets for local energy use and for export markets and bamboo sprouts for food. Sri lanka has no bamboo processing industry. China and India have established industries with the support of UNIDO. This project involves the transfer of bamboo processing technology from India and China.

Development of a bamboo industry in the country needs transfer of technology from these countries by buying equipment, capacity building in operating and maintaining this equipment and development of a network of local service providers. Rajabdeen said steps have been taken to transfer technology in tissue reproduction, bamboo processing technology and bamboo pelettising technology from India and China.

“ As a plantation takes three to four years to mature it is a project with a long life span, but after four years cropping begins and the first products will become available which would be sufficient to cover operation and maintenance costs”, he said. An eco-friendly bamboo material can help the rural poor generate income and employment opportunities and will help the country to become a world leader in the industry.Fourteen species of bamboo are found in Sri Lanka and only five of them are presently in use. They are widely used in making crafts and scaffoldings.

The strength of bamboo column, their straight, smoothness, lightness, cylindrical structure, abundance and shorter period in which they attain maturity make them suitable for a variety of purposes. Bamboo has excellent properties and its natural resistance to decay is low. Chemical preservation using preservatives which have good diffusion properties, improves the durability of bamboo structures.

World demand for handicrafts made from bamboo has increased considerably which has helped the development of cottage industries based on preserved bamboo. The whole biomass of the tree can be utilised. Bamboo has several characteristics that make it a suitable and economical building material for building construction, as well as for scaffolding. Bamboo has been considered as a reinforcement factor for concrete in place of steel. “The major problem is the shortage of the raw material. People must be made aware of the value of bamboo to encourage their supportive participation in development, conservation and usage aspects”, Rajabdeen said. Bamboo products can be promoted as a substitute to plastic and polythene goods by highlighting their environment friendly qualities.Bamboo resources in Sri Lanka are not as abundant as in many South Asian countries, and consequently the importance of bamboo in the household economy, construction, and in cottage industry is comparatively low. The availability of indigenous bamboo species in forest areas, such as Ochlandra stridula, is decreasing because of deforestation and over-exploitation.

However, they can still be found abundantly in a few areas in Ratnapura and Kalutara Districts.

Rajabdeen said that the bamboo industry supports about 250 families and 690 workers. According to a survey by the Forest Department about 80 percent of people who collect bamboo, process it for household consumption. The price of bamboo has increased due to the growing demand. In the past, bamboo was used to make poles, baskets, furniture, fences and handicraft items. Bamboo is used to construct eco- friendly houses.