International Network for Bamboo and
Rattan (INBAR) is an intergovernmental organization dedicated to improving
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.
Bamboo is a grass which belongs to
cereal crops family
and is an equally valuable and generous source of vegetable foodstuff. It is the
growing shoot and not the ripened seed grain that is eaten. Bamboo has over 70
genera of reputedly 1500 species almost all over the world. Its woody stems called
culms can have a mature size ranging from 100 mm to 36 metres with individual culms growing up to 30 cm in diameter.
It is also used
in housing material, furniture and other items.
Rattan is a climbing palm with
long, thin and jointed pliable stem. It
has roughly six hundred species of palms, is a native to tropical regions of Africa, Asia and Australasia. Most rattans are distinct from other
palms in having slender stems 2–5 cm diameter with long internodes between the
leaves. They are also superficially similar to bamboo, but distinct because the
stems are solid,
rather than hollow, and also need support where as bamboo can grow on its own. Rattans
have been known to grow up to hundreds of metres long.
Almost 70% of
the world’s rattan population exists in Indonesia- Borneo, Celebes and Sumbawa islands. The rest of the world’s supply
comes from the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Bangladesh.
In India an estimated 8.96
million ha. forest area contains bamboo. It is found to grow practically
all over the country. India is second richest country in terms
of bamboo’s genetic
diversity. There are 124 indigenous and exotic species, under 23 genera, found
naturally and/or under cultivation. In India, the present usage of bamboo is to
the tune of Rs. 2043 crore.
At global
level, Bamboo and rattan are integral to the lives of up to 1.5 billion people,
roughly a quarter of the present world population. For many of them life
is a constant struggle against poverty and deprivation. Bamboo and rattan provide
them with a sustainable way out of poverty, a stable source of income for a growing
range of micro, small and medium sized enterprises. Opportunities to use bamboo
and rattan to improve people’s lives along with conserving environment are still underdeveloped, but it
has enormous potential which deserves increased attention and support.
There are an increasing number of ways bamboo can be used and an increasing number
of products that can be made from it, in particular to complement high value timber-wood
products. Therefore, Bamboo and rattan are ideal resources for development that
integrates poverty reduction and environmental sustainability, and INBAR is ideally
placed to foster sustainability through the essence of INBAR Mission, which is
to protect the global environment, eradicate poverty and promote industry through
enhancing international cooperation in bamboo and rattan resource conservation
and sustainable utilization.
Organisation
The Council, the supreme governing
body of INBAR, is composed of representatives of INBAR member countries. Upto now, INBAR has 34 member countries which include thirteen in Africa, ten in Asia, ten in America and one in Oceania. All major policies and decisions
of INBAR are approved by the Council. As of September 2006, 34 countries had acceded
to INBAR’s Establishment Agreement -- Argentina, Bangladesh,
Benin, Bolivia, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Ethiopia,
Ghana, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal,
Nigeria, Peru, Rwanda, The Philippines, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, Surinam, Tanzania,
Togo, Tonga, Uganda, Venezuela and Vietnam. With the exception of Canada, all of these countries have major
bamboo and/or rattan resource bases, and a considerable population of people living in
conjunction with them, who use bamboo and
rattan to improve their lives and livelihoods.
INBAR is running three main thematic
programmes at present. They are Environmental Sustainability, Livelihood
and Economic Development and Trade Development.Along
with this four technical programmes are also handled and they are Global Bamboo Housing
Programme, Global Marketing Initiative, Global Rattan
Programme and the Non-Timber Forest Products Partnership
Programme.
There are an increasing number of ways
bamboo can be used and an increasing number of products that can be made from
it, in particular to complement high value timber-wood products. Bamboo is also
important in environmental conservation and for rehabilitating degraded land.
Rattan is already a valuable resource. Its value continues to rise in domestic
as- well-as international market.
History
Leading scientists
from around the world met to explore the exciting opportunities rattan and
bamboo offered as resources to improve the livelihoods of hundreds of millions
of people. This was way
back in 1979 and the initiation was taken by
Canada’s International Development Research
Centre (IDRC).
IDRC put bamboo
and rattan on its research agenda and began to develop an informal network to
bring together the expertise of the researchers and practitioners scattered across
the globe. From 1985 to 1988 more than
100 specialists got together in a workshop to form a formal institute to co-ordinate
bamboo and rattan research and development. In 1993 INBAR was
formed as part of IDRC. Its aim is to improve the contribution bamboo
and rattan make to rural livelihoods and to investigate the role of bamboo and
rattan in tropical forest conservation. The United Nations’ International Fund
for Agricultural Development (IFAD) provides funds to IDRC for INBAR’s socio-economic research.
A group consisting
of IFAD, IDRC, the MS Swaminathan Institute, Indian
Sustainable Development Organisation and the Chinese
Government established INBAR as an independent organization in 1995. China offered to host its headquarters. Signing
ceremony was held on 6 November attended by the nine founding members-Bangladesh, Canada, China, Indonesia, Myanmar, Peru, the Philippines and Tanzania. Observers from Italy, Japan, Korea, the Netherlands, Pakistan and Thailand attended. In ten years INBAR membership
grew from nine to 34 member countries.
INBAR Is now an intergovernmental
organization with four funding partners-the governments of China, Canada, Netherlands and IFAD. INBAR’s
vision of sustainable use of bamboo and rattan has contributed towards people’s livelihoods
and their environment.
The 6th
Council Session of International Network for Bamboo and Rattan) INBAR is for the
first time being
held outside China. Ministry of Environment and Forests,
is hosting the event at New Delhi where representatives from 34 member
countries will participate. The session is accepted to
provide guidance for future thrust of INBAR activities. (PIB Features)
*Deputy Director (M & C), PIB, New Delhi
RTS/VN
(Release ID :43654)