Bamboo, the wonder tree

Bamboos are some of the fastest growing plants in the world, as some species have been recorded as growing up to 100cm (39in)  within a 24 hour period due to a unique rhizome-dependent system. Bamboos are of notable economic and cultural significance in South Asia, South east Asia and East Asia, being used for building materials, as a food source, and as a versatile raw product.

Ecological security

• conserving forests through timber substitution. bamboos grow more rapidly than trees and start to yield within three or four years of planting. Bamboo plantation establishment requires minimal capital investment and builds upon the inherent plant cultivation skills of local farmers and foresters.
• Bamboos can be harvested annually and non-destructively.
• Bamboo functions as an efficient carbon sink.
• Bamboo is an alternative to non-biodegradable and high energy-embodied materials such as plastic and metals.
• Bamboo is an alternative to non-biodegradable and high energy-embodied materials such as plastic and metals.
• Bamboo rejuvenates degraded lands and provides protection against soil erosion..

Livelihood security

• Bamboo helps in providing livelihood security to rural people by creating employment in planting,primary and secondary processing, construction, craft and the manufacture of several value added products.
• All parts of the bamboo plant can be used in rural livelihoods and industry- shoots for food, leaves for fodder and branches for making over a thousand traditional products as well as a host
• of new generation industrial products.

Shelter security

• Through the provision of safe, secure, durable and affordable housing and community buildings.
• Bamboo provides pillars, walls, window frames, rafters, room separators, ceilings and roofs. Whole structures can be built bamboo using skills available with local artisans.

Food Security

Through bamboo-based agro-forestry systems, by maintaining the fertility of adjoining agricultural lands, and as a direct food source- for example, edible bamboo shoots Wayanad district, Kerala state, south India.

Bamboo Village

Bamboo village was born in 2006 out of a vision to create a sustainable village with bamboo as a central theme, in Thrikkaippetta,Wayanad, Kerala. The village comprises of 2,000 families, spread in two wards of Meppadi Panchayath.The village consists mostly of agricultural families. After 10 years of concentrated efforts in the field of bamboo, “Uravu Research Centre ” realized that diversification of activities are extremely important in the current, rapidly changing global socio - economic scenario to develop a village into a sustainable one and renamed the village as Bamboo Village.

Community tourism

Bamboo village is one of the tourist spots in Wayanad. It is located at Thrikkaipetta. Around 200 families are living here depending on  bamboo based activities and tourism and the spot is rich in biodiversity and traditional and nontraditional agricultural activities.

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