Bamboo provides new hope for Sichuan

　　Bamboo may be the key to revive post-disaster Sichuan province.

　　The European Union and the International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR) kicked off the project "Sustainable Revival of Livelihoods in Post-disaster Sichuan" on March 16, 2010 in Beijing. This project aims to provide help in post-earthquake construction through building a sustainable bamboo processing chain.

　　Sichuan has a third of China's bamboo species, and the province's bamboo industrial output value totals more than 7 billion yuan. Bamboo has a higher fiber rating than any hard wood, which gives it exceptional hard-wearing qualities. With its sustainability, bamboo can be used to produce building materials to replace traditional products made of wood. Bamboo materials have high tensile strength and good shock resistance.

　　This project will provide technical training for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Sichuan that have already begun production of final bamboo products, enabling these companies to better comply with existing national environmental standards. At the same time the project is also to provide them with management training to improve their supply chain management system.

　　The middle and western region of Sichuan province are the least-developed and have rich bamboo resources. As 80 percent of the employees in the bamboo production SMEs in Sichuan are women, the elderly and the disabled, this project will also create 12,000 jobs for the regions with the most vulnerable economic base in Sichuan.

　　Dr. Coosje Hoogendoorn, Director General for INBAR said that bamboo materials can play an important role in post-disaster reconstruction in Sichuan. The project will promote the development of the bamboo industry and realize efficient use of water, resources and energy. It will also promote local bamboo SMEs to replace timber with bamboo, and to replace other traditional high energy-consuming building materials such as cement and steel.

　　This project starts in 2010 and will last for four years. It is to build eight sustainable bamboo products production bases in Sichuan in cooperation with the Department of Forestry of Sichuan Province. Apart from 1.9 million euros funded by the EU, the Sichuan Provincial People's Government will also contribute 286,000 euros, while the INBAR, the Benelux Chamber of Commerce, the European Union Project Innovation Center are to give a total of 210,000 euros to fund this project. The collaboration will focus on promotion of the use of bamboo building materials in post-earthquake reconstruction, thereby contributing to post-disaster livelihood recovery and to promote sustainable environmental development.

　　Prof. Jiang Zehui, Vice Chair of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), said that sustainable bamboo building materials for the reconstruction of local homes and schools will enhance the ability to withstand natural disasters.

　　Minister Counselor of European Commission Delegation to China Johan Cauwenbergh believes that improving livelihood of vulnerable populations in earthquake-affected areas is not only reflected in one respect. The EU has been involved in a number of earthquake-recovery assistance projects in the stricken areas in Sichuan. The bamboo processing production chain construction is one of the themes of the China-EU cooperation.

　　INBAR is an intergovernmental organization dedicated to promoting the social, economic and environmental benefits of bamboo and rattan. INBAR connects a global network of partners from the government, private and not-for-profit sectors in over 50 countries to define and implement a global agenda for sustainable development through bamboo and rattan. It will also participate in the upcoming Shanghai Expo.

　　By People's Daily Online