‘Bamboo plantation is important not only conserve bio-diversity but also help to reduce forest degradation’ said by Suresh Prabhu, Member of Parliament, Government of India in the one day webinar on Bamboo for Rural Development –Global to Local Perspectives.
The webinar was held on August 31, 2021 under the theme “Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav” on the occasion of celebrating 75 years of India’s Independence organised by North Eastern Regional Office of National Institute of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj, Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India in Collaboration with International Bamboo and Rattan Organisation, China and India Bamboo Forum, India.
Total 581 participants from 54 countries and 9 speakers from 5 countries joined webinar. World Bamboo Organisation, USA; Bamboo Forum of India, India; South Asia Bamboo Forum, India; North East Cane and Bamboo Development Council, India and North East Centre for Technology Application and Research (NECTAR), India were the associate partners for the webinar.
Suresh Prabhu further added ‘value addition of bamboo product is most important for promotion of livelihood in rural areas’. He expressed ‘Bamboo plantation has direct link with forest degradation and therefore more and more plantation surely check forest degradation.’ The MP and Chairman, India Bamboo Forum mentioned that Bamboo can produce wide range to products both as small enterprise and as industry.
Bamboo is one of the most exploited plants on the planet because its cultivation doesn’t require too much effort. Besides low cost of maintenance, bamboo has numerous applications. It can be used in medicine, in the building industry, for the production of various woody objects or as an ingredient of numerous delicious meals. It is also contributing towards rural livelihood.
Dr. Jayanta Choudhury, Associate Professor, NIRDPR-NERC moderated the programme. At the outset, Dr. Choudhry heighted the importance on Bamboo sector in livelihood promotion in rural areas special in north east India. He also mentioned the role of bamboo in addressing different UN SDGs.
While welcoming the dignitaries and delegates Dr. Murugesan Ramasamy, Director, NIRDPR-NERC, Guwahati, Assam, India has narrated Bamboo as poorman’s timber with its dominant varieties in the north eastern India.
He also specified the pivotal role of bamboo significantly contributing to the country’sGDP through various entrepreneurial activities and traditional handicrafts,involving rural artisans, craftsmen, decorators, SHGs, Volunteers, Youth and allother stakeholders.
Dr Ramasamy emphasized the need for bridging gap between thedemand side and supply chain management of Bamboo resources forconversion of value added products to the global market networks.
Professor Lu Wenming, Deputy Director General, International Bamboo and Rattan Organisation (INBAR), Beijing, China in his speech as Chief Guest mentioned that being a multicounty organisation INBAR is an intergovernmental development organisation that promotes environmentally sustainable development using bamboo and rattan.
INBAR is also actively promoting bamboo sector in as an important part of land restoration programmes among the farmers across Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and support the establishment of around 20,000 hectares of new bamboo plantations. He also mentioned ‘’Indian bamboo industry is progressing in leaps and bounds in the country.
The government of India has been established a well-structured national bamboo mission with a robust bamboo implementation strategy. Moreover, the government of India has brought a drastic change in forest act and policies for benefiting the bamboo smallholder farmers, micro enterprises and industries to reach the zenith of the “Atma Nirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India)” through utilizing bamboo.
In the technical session, Dr. Jayanta Choudhury, Associate Professor, NIDRPR-NERC, Assam, India discussed the issues and perspectives of Bamboo for Rural Livelihood. Durai Jayaraman, Director, Global Programme, INBAR, Beijing, China gave a Global Perspective of Bamboo for Rural Livelihood.
Dr. Maria Teresa Pedrosa Silva Clerici, Professor, University of Campinas, Brazil, Latin America pointed on Bamboo flour for healthy and sustainable food products. Pulak Kumar Mandal of North East Cane and Bamboo Development Council (NECBDC), North Eastern Council, Ministry of DoNER, Government of India highlighted the issue related to Technological intervention in bamboo sector for promotion of rural livelihood in the north eastern states.
Dr. Selim Reza, Programme Manager, INBAR- EARO, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Africa shared the experiences of INBAR on Propoor Bamboo Enterprise Development in East Africa while Kamesh Salam, Founder & CEO, South Asia Bamboo Foundation mention the importance of Bamboo Value Chain and Livelihood in South Asia. Sanjeev S. Karpe, Founder Director, Konkan Bamboo & Cane Development Center – KONBAC, Maharashtra, India heighted the Contemporary Bamboo construction and furniture in India.
Sukumar Haobam, Product Designer, Coordinator, Bamboo Forum of India mentioned the Market option in the Bamboo sector-North East India context and Dr. Nirmala Chongtham, Coordinator, Centre for Policy Research of Panjab University, Chandigarh, India discusses the linkages of Bamboo Shoot and Rural Livelihood.
Dr. Abhinav Kant, Head, BCDI-NECTAR, Agartala emphasized on role of Skill, Innovation and Technology for Bamboo based rural livelihood.
Overall the speakers stressed the need for policy to promote bamboo cultivation elsewhere that endure natural resources and save humanity from environmental impacts which promote sustainable rural livelihoods.
