Kenya urged to develop bamboo economy — Nation Kenya
In Kenya, bamboo could become a resource for creating jobs, producing construction materials and restoring degraded land, according to Wanjira Mathai, Managing Director for Africa and Global Partnerships at the World Resources Institute. In an op-ed for Nation Kenya, she noted that the country classified bamboo as a cash crop in September 2020 and developed a National Bamboo Policy in 2022.
Policy and new markets
According to Mathai, the policy should promote the sustainable management and commercialization of bamboo resources. She called building local and regional demand, as well as developing new value chains in the sector, an important next step.
The author noted that bamboo can replace timber, be used to construct stronger and more climate-resilient structures from local materials, and support employment. During the Toolkit Skills & Innovation Africa event, participants discussed the possibility of linking individual successful initiatives in the bamboo bioeconomy with broader local and regional demand and supply markets.
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Experience of other countries
Mathai cited examples of India, China, Indonesia and the Philippines, where partners are ready to share experience with African artisans and train a new generation of bamboo construction specialists. She also noted that China has linked the development of its bamboo industry with economic development: the sector's annual output is worth about $74.4 billion, and more than 29 million people are employed across the entire value chain.
Wanjira Mathai added that Africa accounts for less than 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions while being among the regions least able to cope with the consequences of climate change. In her view, cooperation among Global South countries makes it possible to adapt climate change mitigation and adaptation technologies that may be more suitable and cost-effective than developments from other regions.
