The Hindu Business Line : Global meet to highlight bamboo potential

THE seventh World Bamboo Congress, to be held in New Delhi between February 27 and March 4, plans to highlight the potential of bamboo as fuel for economic and industrial development as well as for creating rural employment opportunity to millions of people in countries with substantial natural bamboo resources and a large percentage of the population living in poverty.

Over 1,000 delegates from more than 50 countries shall attend the Congress being organised by the World Bamboo Organisation (WBO). Various issues relating to bamboo shall be discussed in five plenary sessions and more than 12 topical workshops. Besides, an exposition has been arranged showcasing the strength in bamboo.

According to a WBO source, India with one of the largest bamboo resources in the world in terms of species and coverage and about 26 per cent of the population living below the poverty line, offers enormous potential to help alleviate poverty. Incidentally, the Union Government has committed to take new initiatives for the bamboo sector to ensure the establishment of an industrial base for a range of diversified products.

WBO believes that the Congress will go a long way in establishing bamboo as key component in the economic and industrial development of developing countries and a dependable wood substitute for the countries facing shortage of forest produce.

It is mentioned that global trade in bamboo and bamboo products has already crossed several billion US dollars. The volume of global trade on bamboo products is expected to increase substantially in the years to come.