Project/activity information

The aim of this project is to develop the potential of bamboo for poverty alleviation in the rural communities associated bamboo in Myanmar, where bamboo resources are abundant (963,000 ha) but their utilization is limited due to the outdated processing techniques and lack of quality products. The project will establish two demonstration plots in the Mandalay and Bago Divisions for intensive bamboo management and for processing and utilization. In the demonstration plots, selected bamboo species will be planted within the degraded forestlands, which have been impacted by over-harvesting, excessive grazing and other intensive disturbance on alternative land uses with delayed forest re-growth after abandonment. The selection criteria for the two demonstration plots will include the potentials to enhance sustainable forest management, in particular for the sustainable management of teak-bearing and mixed-deciduous forests, which are dominant forest types at the project sites. Research efforts will be made to realize the production of improved and diversified bamboo products with high quality and added value from sustainable sources. Based on the research results, technical guidelines for sustainable management and improved utilization of bamboo will be published and disseminated to interested parties, including farmers, through a series of training courses. Two bamboo cooperatives will be established and produce quality bamboo products for domestic and international markets. It is expected that after completion of the project, the bamboo sector in Myanmar contributes to alleviating rural poverty and to reducing pressure to the natural forests, which will strengthen sustainable forest management in the country.