Project/activity information

This 48-month project is designed to promote the development of ASEAN’s rattan sector through demonstration and application of rattan management and utilization technologies in line with the recommendations of the Regional Conference on Sustainable Development of Rattan in Asia held in Manila, Philippines from 22 to 23 January 2004, which was organized under ITTO Pre-Project PPD 51/02 Rev.1 (I) “Application of Production and Utilization Technologies for Rattan Sustainable Development in the ASEAN Member Countries”. The Regional Conference highlighted the need for ASEAN collaboration on rattan research and development in order to address the issue of the unsustained development of the rattan industry in the ASEAN region in particular with regard to the dwindling supply of commercially useful rattan.

The project intends to establish rattan demonstration plots of 20 hectares for each country of the ASEAN member countries through development of technical manuals on rattan management and training. Trainings on rattan utilization technologies are planned for the production of quality furniture, handicrafts and other products after research work on relevant technologies. Regional training courses and meetings are planned to enhance the skills and capacity of the ASEAN member countries in the fields of taxonomy, inventory, production and utilization technologies. The project work also includes the establishment of an ASEAN Rattan Centre as a network for discussion and policy sharing to support the implementation of rattan projects at the national level.